Guardian of Light
by Mia Vaan
Summary: The moon is my earliest memory. But that's all I can remember. And when I try to remember more, a wall comes up. Like my mind doesn't want me to remember what happened before the moon. My name is Helen. Helen Bennett. Where do I come from? I don't know. I was found on a doorstep when I was still only a baby. No one knows where I came from. And I don't think anyone ever will.
1. Prologue: Chosen at Birth

For those of you who saw my last version of this story, I saw the movie...and decided I needed to start again with the story I had planned. So here's the new prologue.

For those of you who didn't see the last one...I hope you enjoy it, anyway!

For both, this story includes some info from the book series. I'll try and explain things as best I can, though, so hopefully you won't have to have read them.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Rise of the Guardians_ or _The Guardians of Childhood_. They belong to Dreamworks and William Joyce. Any characters you don't recognize are mine. Any names for previously unnamed characters are mine, as well.

Reviews will make me a happy Easter Bunny! :D

* * *

_The moon is my earliest memory. _

_But that's all I can remember. And when I try to remember more, a wall comes up. Like my mind doesn't want me to remember what happened before the moon_.

With the light of the moon guiding the way, a shadowy figure hopped – yes, _hopped_ – through the night, the streets quiet and empty enough for him to move unseen. He wore a dark cloak wrapped around him and a hood covering his head, and over his shoulder, a staff was strapped to his back.

There was a small bundle in his arms, which he held close to him as he moved. His vivid green eyes looked down upon the baby in his arms as he paused for a moment; the baby stared right back at him, her wide brown eyes curious. It was hard to believe that, after all she had been through, the baby was comfortable.

The figure pushed those memories back and continued.

As he passed the houses he looked through the windows, as if he was trying to find something. He would keep looking down at the baby, as if getting her opinion, before finally stopping outside one house. Inside the figure could see a man and a woman sat side by side on the couch, gazing at each other lovingly; the man was blonde haired and brown eyed, while the woman was a brunette with green eyes. The figure looked down at the baby again and smiled.

He hopped over to the front door, placed the baby on the doorstep, and knocked. He hurried away again and hid in the bushes.

The door opened. Both the man and the woman were there, gazing around to find the one who knocked on their door. The woman saw the baby first; she immediately crouched down and took the bundle into her arms, rocking her gently. The man took out the single piece of paper which was in the child's blankets. It was ripped, but he could still read what the first part said: _Helen_.

The man and the woman exchanged a glance...before they smiled and brought the baby inside with them.

From inside the bushes, Bunnymund smiled. "You're safe now, little one. See ya in a couple of centuries." He then took the staff off his back; it was golden and green with an egg-shaped emerald on the top. He used it to open a portal in front of him, taking him back to his own time in the past.

_My name is Helen. Helen Bennett. Where do I come from? I don't know. I was found on a doorstep when I was still only a baby. No one knows where I came from. And I don't think anyone ever will_.


	2. Chapter One: To Burgess

Thank you, six kind people who have reviewed. Can others please tell me how I'm doing? I know the prologue was short, but this next chapter isn't, and I would like to know if I'm doing anything right or wrong; then changes will be made and I can keep on repeating the good stuff. Of course, I can't do this unless people tell me what's what. So please, review. Even it's it a simple 'good job' it'll make my day.

Moving on, we're introduced to Helen in this chapter, and the situation she's in. In my head, I think Jamie's parents are divorced; there isn't enough divorce in kids films, even though a lot of kids have to deal with it.

Anyway, I hope people enjoy the chapter.

* * *

_Puerto Rico, Sixteen Years Later..._

Helen Bennett ticked the final item off her list – a pair of warm, blue gloves – before she sighed with satisfaction. The suitcase before her was filled with warm winter clothes, mostly blue and white in colour, ready for her _maybe_ trip to _Burgess_.

"All done." She tried to close the suitcase, and having difficulty, she sat on top of it and bounced up and down. This way she was finally able to get the zip done up. _Now for the hard part_.

She walked over to her calender and sighed, ticking off the last day of November. Blowing a small lock of raven hair out of her eyes, Helen reached up and flipped over the next page, the picture showing a snow-covered field. On the 1st, she had written in big red letters '_ASK DAD_'.

The girl sighed again. _It's now or never_. She hurried through their small house and out onto the front porch, which had a beautiful view of the beach. Helen grabbed her cap on the way out and slapped it on her head.

Outside her father, Lowell Bennett, was trying to hang up a Christmas reeve above their porch. He was stood on top of the ladder, and didn't notice Helen hurry outside until she spoke. "Dad, can I ask you something?"

The shock caused him to lose his balance, and Lowell was sent crashing to the ground with both the reeve and the ladder he was stood on. Helen cringed, taking a few steps back to get out of the way. She then hurried to help her father up.

"Helen, you know I don't like it when you do that," he said. He accepted her help and stood up, before picking up the reeve to inspect that it wasn't damaged.

"Sorry," his daughter apologized. "Maybe I should have rubbed my lucky tooth." She raised a finger and stuck it in her mouth, rubbing the small baby tooth which was still wedged inside; even at her age, it still refused to come out. The pair had called it her lucky tooth ever since Helen was thirteen.

"No harm done." Lowell picked up the ladder and stood it upright again. "Now, what was it you wanted to ask me?"

Helen took in a deep breath and let it out again, preparing herself for the speech she had been practising. "Dad, as you know, it's been three Christmases since the...divorce. Three Christmases on this boiling hot island. And even though I know you and Mum still don't get along..."

"We're not going to _Burgess_."

Helen deflated. "You didn't even let me finish!"

"I didn't need to." Lowell gave his daughter a firm look. "Honey, I know you want to go back there, but your mother and I-"

"-will have to put your differences aside!" Helen argued. "Dad, you're being selfish and it's unfair on me, Jamie and Sophie. They want to see us both this year, and not just on the web-cam."

"It's not that simple-"

"It'll only be for a few days," the girl continued. "Dad, please. I want a _real_ Christmas. With _real_ snow, and a _real_ fire to sit around. And a _real_ Christmas tree; not a palm tree covered in tinsel." She pointed to the poor excuse of a Christmas tree she was referring to, which was sat on the porch to their left. "And more importantly, I want to spend it with _all_ my family. I'm sixteen, Dad. I'm nearly an adult. I'll never get another chance to spend Christmas as a child again."

She gave him the big brown puppy-dog eyes; the ones she knew her father couldn't resist. Lowell looked away, trying not to get drawn in...but he eventually sighed. "All right. If your mother says yes-"

"YES!" Helen leapt at her father, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "She already has! All the flights are booked; you just need to pack!" She let go of him. "You know what? I'll do it for you!" The girl hurried inside. "We're leaving on the twenty-third!" she called over her shoulder.

Lowell stared after her before shaking his head with a smile.

* * *

_Burgess, 23rd December_

Helen peered out the window of the taxi as it entered _Burgess_. Snow covered the ground as far as the eye could see, and she hadn't stopped smiling all day; at the airport, on the plane, at the airport again... She had barely been able to contain her excitement as she'd changed into her blue and white winter clothes.

Her father was sat next to her, looking worried. Lowell and his ex-wife really hadn't gotten along well since the divorce, and he knew there would be arguments during their stay – he got that impression from his sleeping arrangements of simply _the couch_. Even the dog slept better.

The taxi finally pulled to a stop outside the house, and still gazing outside, Helen noticed her brother, Jamie, playing with his friends; they were having a snowball fight. _Looks like fun... I haven't had a snowball fight in years... Maybe I'll join in after I'm unpacked..._ Her eyes settled upon a taller boy in the middle, holding a long stick and wearing a blue hoody, complete with brown trousers. Helen then noticed he wasn't wearing any shoes...but even more bizarre, his hair was white. _Strange boy..._

"Helen?" Helen blinked and turned to her father. "You need to get your own bags out. I'm not your butler."

Helen rolled her eyes and opened the door of the cab, before hauling out her hand-luggage and suitcase. While her father paid the driver she turned back towards the kids playing, looking for the white haired boy...but he had vanished.

Her surprise faded away when Jamie noticed their arrival and hurried over. "Helen! Dad!" He crashed into Helen, hugging her.

"Jamie!" Helen hugged him back. "You've grown so much!"

He jumped up and down with excitement. "I know! I'll show you how much when we get inside; I've been measuring on the wall in my bedroom!"

Lowell chuckled. "All right, let's see how high." He held up his hand for a high five, but it was too high and Jamie struggled to reach it, even when jumping. So Helen just picked her brother up, and Jamie met his father's hand with ease. "That's cheating."

"That's fair play," the girl resorted.

Behind them Sophie hopped down the porch, her blonde hair a mess like usual while wearing pink fairy wings on her back. "Daddy! Hely!" She hurried over and gave her father a hug; he picked her up and swung her above his head, making her laugh. Abby came out barking as well, and Helen greeted the greyhound with a pat on the head.

"How's my little fairy princess, then?" Lowell asked his daughter. Observing her hair, he added, "You need a crown to hide that mop you call hair. Your mother obviously doesn't understand the concept of a hairbrush."

"I do. You try getting her to stand still long enough to use it."

All eyes turned towards the front door where Bernadette Bennett was waiting, her arms folded across her chest.

Not wanting a confrontation, Helen hurried over to her mother. "Mum!" They hugged. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, sweetheart." Bernadette then turned to Lowell. "You, not so much."

Lowell sighed. "Still as honest as ever, I see."

"Your room's ready. Are you sure the couch suits you fine?"

"It's the same arrangement we had when we were married."

Helen quickly spoke up. "Hey! Why don't we bring our stuff inside and catch up? I'm sure Jamie has lots of amazing stories to tell."

"Yeah!"

Bernadette went to grab Helen's suitcase, but Lowell beat her to it. "No, I'll take them."

"I'm the hostess. I'm taking it in."

"I'm just trying to be polite. I've got it."

Helen stepped in. "I'll take it. It's my bag."

But neither parent was having any of it. "Helen, it's fine. You've had a long flight over," Bernadette insisted.

"Funny. You're in no rush to bring in _my_ bags." Lowell raised an eyebrow.

His ex-wife glared at him. "I only bring in the bags of people who are _welcome_ in my house."

"Oh, so I'm not welcome? Why am I staying, then?"

"For Helen's benefit. If it were up to me, you'd be in outside in the shed."

"I think I'd rather be in a shed. Better than staying under the same roof as you."

The argument escalated, and Jamie and Sophie exchanged glances. "They're going at it again," said the boy. He turned to his older sister...only to find her gone. He spotted her in the distance, walking away. "Come on, Soph." He took his little sister's hand before following the path Helen had taken, leaving their parents to argue.

* * *

Helen threw a stone at the iced over pond. It didn't even leave a dent, and slid all the way across it before landing in the snow on the other side.

The girl sighed. _I wanted this year to be special. Why can't Mum and Dad set aside their differences for just one day? I bet my real parents weren't like this...whoever they were_. She looked up into the sky at the faded moon, which always seemed to be smiling down at her wherever she was in the world.

"I know this sounds stupid talking to you, but it feels right," she said to it. "I get the feeling you know something about me. Something important. I'm not going to ask that you tell me; all I want is a proper family. One which isn't divided. I had one once; I _had_ to have one. But I lost it. Now I'm part of this one, but it's not complete. If you know how I can get them together again...please tell me."

The moon remained silent. Just like the countless other times she had tried talking to it. Helen sighed, and kicked another stone at the pond. _Guess not_.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned; Jamie and Sophie approached, looking as sad as she was. "We don't like it when they fight, either," said Jamie. "But you always take it worse than we do."

"I just wanted to spend Christmas together. As a family. No fights..." She turned away and looked down at her feet.

Her brother came to stand next to her, Sophie behind him. "You thought it would get them back together again, didn't you?"

Helen sighed. There had been a little bit of hope in her...so little that she hadn't even dared to think about it, to save disappointment. "I just...I want a family who love each other. Not _this_."

"I know." Jamie took her hand in his. "Why don't you come and play with my friends in order to take your mind off it? It must have been forever since you had a snowball fight."

The girl smiled...but then she remembered something. "Oh, that reminds me. Jamie, who was that taller boy you were with?"

"What boy?"

"You can't miss him. He was carrying a stick, wasn't wearing any shoes; he must have been freezing. Oh, and his hair was white. You should know who I mean."

But Jamie just stared at her, his eyes wide, and his jaw dropped in shock. Helen was about to ask what the matter was when she felt a cold breeze behind her.

"You...you can see me?"

Helen turned...and standing behind her was the boy, his eyes just as wide as Jamie's. His skin was very pale, making him look even more unusual than the first time she saw him, and his eyes were the brightest blue she had ever seen.

Jamie went to stand next to him. "Helen...this is Jack Frost."


	3. Chapter Two: At the North Pole

Thank you to those who reviewed so far.

Not much to say about this chapter, other than I hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

Helen blinked in surprise at her brother's words; she looked at Jamie, then back at the taller boy. "Jack Frost? You mean the guy Mum always said would nip at your nose if you went outside in the cold without wrapping up warm?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "I don't nip at people's noses! OK, so my magic touches kids' noses, but it isn't 'nipping'." He pointed a finger at Helen. "And before you say anything, I'm not just an expression, either."

"OK, I get it." She held up her hands in defence. "So what exactly are you, anyway?"

"A Guardian," said Jamie. "He brings the winter and the snow and all that. He also protects us kids from fear and darkness."

"Sounds epic," Helen commented. "So how come people haven't seen him? Because a lot of people _do_ still think of him as an expression. No offence."

Jack pointed a warning finger at her, and she held up her hands in defence. "People can only see me if they believe in me," he explained.

"But that doesn't make any sense," said Helen. "Still no offence to you, but I didn't believe in you until now."

The boy blinked in surprise, and exchanged confused looks with Jamie. "It shouldn't work like that," said the younger brother. "I mean, it didn't with me, and it didn't with the other kids. Is it different with adults, or teenagers?"

"No, usually adults and teenagers can't see us at all," Jack replied. "Unless... Is it because she's your sister?"

"No. We're not actually related."

Helen nodded. "I was adopted when I was a baby."

"Oh, then I guess not." Jack thought. "Well, I'm stumped. But North may know why, or one of the others."

"North?" Helen questioned. "Others?"

"North is Santa," said Jamie.

Helen's eyes widened a little. "So all of them are real? Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, Sandman, Easter Bunny..."

"Bunny!" Sophie suddenly cried, causing her elder sister to jump in shock. "Hop, hop, hop!"

"All real," Jack confirmed. "Wow, I would _never_ have guessed that from the fact that _I'm_ real."

"The Frostbite can also bite back with sarcasm," said Helen. "Great. Just what I need."

Jack held up his hands in defence. "I'm just saying. Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Helen. You're..." He looked her up and down, "...not bad."

Helen rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Even _childhood Guardians_ give girls the male gaze."

Jamie interrupted before it could go any further. "Wait, so if you're gonna ask North, does this mean we're going to the North Pole?"

Jack took out a familiar looking snow globe from his hoody pocket and showed it to them. "I was planning to take you guys there, anyway. It's in the run up to Christmas; things will be looking lively."

Helen titled her head. "You were _planning_ to take us?"

"Jamie and Sophie, I mean. I wasn't counting on you seeing me."

"Nice to be included."

"Is she always like this?" Jack asked Jamie.

The younger boy shook his head. "She's usually really nice. Always full of light. She only gets this way when she's really upset. Uses snark to hide it when around strangers."

Helen stared her little brother down. "Traitor."

Jamie tried to ignore her. "Does North know you took that?"

"Well..." Jack hesitated. "I only borrowed it."

"You mean you stole it."

"He won't mind." Jack gave the snow globe a shake. "Santa's workshop." He then tossed it to the ground and a portal opened up.

Jamie looked uncertain. "Are you sure North will be OK with us being there?"

"Sure he will."

"And are you sure we should be doing this _at all_?" Helen asked.

Jack grabbed Jamie before throwing him into the portal; Jamie laughed out loud as he disappeared. "You're gonna have to now. Just enjoy the ride."

Helen turned around to look back the way she came; she knew her parents were most likely still arguing, not even noticing that their kids were gone. If she chose to turn and walk away, she wouldn't be going back to much. And although she didn't want to admit it in her mood, her inner child was jumping up and down in excitement at the thought of visiting _Santa's_ workshop.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Too long." He then gave Helen a shove, and she fell in with a surprised scream. Sophie went next before Jack leapt in himself just before the portal closed.

* * *

North was pacing back and forwards by the fire place with both Bunny and Sandy watching. Tooth was nearby, giving commands to her Mini Fairies as they travelled back and forth collecting teeth across the globe.

"I don't know why you're so worried," said Bunny. "It's just a snow globe."

"_Just_ a snow globe?" North couldn't believe how blind Bunny was being. "My friend, that snow globe can take me anywhere in the world; I need that thing when I'm delivering toys across the globe. If I don't find it by Christmas, I'm in trouble. And if that wasn't bad enough, what if it's fallen into the wrong hands? Pitch could have it, and he'll spread all kinds of chaos with it!"

Tooth turned away from her fairies for a moment. "I'm sure it'll turn up soon enough."

Suddenly a portal opened up before them and out came Jamie, laughing as he fell. "Whoa! Did you see that?"

The Guardians stared at him, opened mouthed. "Jamie?" North questioned.

That was when Helen appeared, screaming as she landed on the floor with a hard thud. She didn't get time to look around at her surroundings; upon hearing Sophie's laughter growing closer and closer, she immediately got to her feet and turned back to the portal just as Sophie came flying out, and the older girl was able to catch her. But the force sent her falling backwards onto her behind again.

Lastly Jack flew out before the portal closed. He held the snow globe in his hand.

Bunny chuckled. "I think I solved your mystery, mate."

North approached the children and cleared his throat. Jack laughed hesitantly. "I...I only borrowed it. Would have asked, but you looked busy." North wordlessly held out his hand and made a gesture, asking Jack to hand over the globe. Jack tossed it to him.

"Looks like someone's still on the naughty list," said Jamie.

Helen let go of Sophie, who immediately ran over to Bunny. "Bunny!"

Bunny chuckled, his eyes brightening up at the sight of the little girl. "Good to see you too, ya little ankle biter." He picked her up, and she laughed out loud as he placed her on his shoulder.

Finally, Helen sat up and gazed at her surroundings. Her mood disappeared at the sheer sight of the place; they were only in a small room in front of the fire place, but that fire place was grand, and the surrounding pillars were enough to impress the girl. She gasped at the giant yetis who stood in a circle around them all, and the little elves crowded around their feet, and when she turned to the Guardians themselves her brown eyes widened even further, if that was possible. "Wow..."

Jamie was just as amazed as she was; this was his first time in the workshop as well. "This place is amazing!" The boy turned in circles, taking it all in as his eyes scanned every detail of the workshop. "It's just how I imagined it! Very big, cleverly built, hidden from the outside, warm and cosy, just the place to build- oof." He bumped into North, and gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry."

North just smiled at him before his attention turned to Helen; the girl was being offered a helpful hand by one of the yetis, and she was hesitant to take it. "Who is that?"

"That's my sister, Helen," said Jamie. "She can see Jack! She can see _all_ of you! And she didn't even believe in you all! "

Bunny turned his attention away from Sophie, and he exchanged glances with North, Tooth, and Sandy. Their expressions were hard to read, and Jack looked between them all in confusion. "What is it?"

The expressions disappeared instantly, and it was like they hadn't even been there. "Nothing." North then turned again to Helen, who by this time had been helped up by a yeti. "So, you're Helen Bennett."

Helen looked surprised at first, but it faded. "I guess it's normal that Santa knows my name."

Tooth suddenly hovered before her, along with countless other Mini Fairies. "Helen Bennett? You're the one with the baby tooth, aren't you?"

"Um...yeah," said Helen. "My lucky tooth."

"Can I see?" Before Helen could reply, her mouth was suddenly yanked open by Tooth's prying hands, and she peeked inside. "Oh, he looks so cute just sitting there, all by himself with all those big boys around him. He must be holding a very important memory to be stuck in there for so long."

"Tooth, hands out of mouth," North told her.

The fairy cringed, backing off. "Oops. Sorry. Got carried away again!" She fluttered away.

Helen just stared after her in confusion as Jack came to stand next to her. "Does she always greet new people like that?"

"Yeah," the boy replied.

"So, Jack, why bring the children to my workshop?" Next to North, a question mark appeared above Sandy's head. "You know it's nearly Christmas, and I'm busy."

"Well, you said that you guys never really have time for children," said Jack. "So I'm bringing the children to you. They'll have a blast; they can test out the toys, see how it all works..."

"We won't touch anything we're not supposed to," said Jamie. His brown eyes widened in a puppy-dog manner, and to add to the effect, Sophie leapt down from Bunny's shoulder and hurried over to pull a similar face. "We promise. We'll be good."

"Uh oh. They've got those eyes." Helen turned away, covering Jack's eyes as well after a second thought. "Don't look into them. They're too powerful!"

North was trying to resist. "I don't know..."

"Oh, come on, mate!" said Bunny, coming up to him. "Even _I_ can't resist that!"

Looking down at the children, North found that he couldn't say 'no'. "All right. I guess it won't hurt." Jamie and Sophie leapt up and cheered. "But I have rules."

As North began to list the rules, Sandy – who had been gulping down cup after cup of eggnog – glanced up at the globe...only to see it suddenly turn dark. He dropped his cup in panic and tried to get the attention of the others, to no avail. Remembering what happened last time, Sandy grabbed the nearest elf and shook him violently.

Everyone turned, and Sandy dropped the elf before frantically pointing at the globe. Everyone's expressions turned from joy to worry when they saw it growing dark.

"What's going on?" asked Helen. "Is it supposed to be doing that?"

North drew his sword, Bunny drew his boomerangs and Sandy created two golden whips out of sand, while Jack held his staff at the ready and Tooth prepared her fairies. Helen put herself in front of Jamie while Sophie hid behind Bunny.

The globe grew darker and darker, the little lights that dotted the many countries fading into nothing. Black sand appeared where the dots had been, flowing around the globe before crawling upwards to the top. They then climbed higher, beginning to form a tall, dark figure... A tall, dark and _familiar_ figure.

"Seriously, guys, what's going on?" asked Helen.

"I think I know," said Jamie.

His fears were confirmed when the figure finally came into focus, staring down at the Guardians with a gleeful smile upon his face.

"Well, well, isn't this a surprise? You're all together in advance," said Pitch. "Miss me?"


	4. Chapter Three: Darkness Rising

Sorry this took a while. I was trying to figure things out with the story for later on.

Anyway, I hope people enjoy this chapter. We finally get to see some action!

* * *

Helen stared at the dark man stood on top of the globe, her eyes wide with what could only be described as a mixture of shock, uncertainty...and fear. "Who...is that?" she dared to ask.

"The Boogeyman," Jamie whispered. He was mostly hidden behind his sister, but was peeking his head out so he could see.

"Oh. He's real too, huh?" She continued to stare at him...and couldn't help but notice that the man looked familiar somehow...

Pitch looked down at them all, the smirk never leaving his face. "My, my, isn't this a good place to enjoy the show?" he said with a chuckle. "I have to say, I do admire how alert you all are. Didn't expect me to come back so soon, did you?" His eyes fell upon Jamie. "And you're here, too. The little light that won't go out."

Immediately Helen pushed Jamie all the way behind her; all traces of shock, uncertainty and fear were gone from her face in an instant. "If you so much as lay a hand on my little brother – or my little sister, for that matter – I will punch you _so hard_, your..." She looked around, and noticing a group of horses form in the black sand behind Pitch, she finished with, "...Nightmares will feel it!"

Jack gave Helen a sideways glance, and found himself admiring how protective she had suddenly become over her little brother. She had gone from nice girl to scary big sister in a matter of seconds.

Pitch blinked in surprise at the unfamiliar face. "Finally someone gets the pun. And who might you be? You look a little old to believe in these weirdos."

"I thought the same thing." She shrugged. "Apparently my vision says otherwise."

"You didn't answer my question."

"She's our sister!" Jamie spoke up, coming out from behind Helen. "And she'll kick your butt if you go near us! One time, when I was getting picked on by some bullies, she tore a plank of wood off the fence and chased them away with it!"

All the Guardians turned to look at her in shock, and she cringed. "Jamie, we almost went two years without ever mentioning that." Jack chuckled.

"What do you want, Pitch?" North demanded, trying to divert the Boogeyman's attention away from the children.

The man smirked. "I want what you have. To be believed in. I thought you knew this already."

"Yeah, we know," said Bunny. He kept Sophie firmly behind him and out of Pitch's sight. "We just thought you'd learnt your lesson last time."

"And _I_ thought I told you all; you can't get rid of me, not forever." A Nightmare appeared next to him, and Pitch stroked it tenderly. "There will always be fear."

"And we _know_ we told you that so long as one child believes, we'll be here to fight fear!" Jack proclaimed.

Pitch's smile disappeared and he stared down at them. "We shall see."

His Nightmares suddenly flew at them all and Tooth flew to meet them, slicing through them with her wings. Sandy grabbed one Nightmare with his whips and turned it into a unicorn, and Bunny threw his boomerangs which sliced through several. The Pooka then grabbed Sophie and carried her over to one of the worktops, placing her underneath.

"Stay here, and don't move." Sophie nodded before Bunny hurried away to join his fellow Guardians.

One Nightmare flew at Jamie and Helen, but Jack was able to freeze it with his staff. He noticed Sophie hiding under the worktop. "Helen, get over there with Jamie! I'll cover you!"

Helen nodded before grabbing her brother and hurrying over. Jack covered her, freezing any Nightmare which went near, and the ones he didn't get were picked off by North, who cut through them with his swords.

The elves scattered as toys were engulfed by the Nightmares. The yetis tried their best to save the remaining toys and fight off the dark forces, but more kept on coming. A Nightmare closed in on two small elves who were saving a plate of cookies – or at least trying to. They kept on eating them as they backed away into a corner.

Then suddenly a sword cut through the black sand, and the Nightmare fell away to reveal North, weapons in hand. He signalled for the elves to take cover; they didn't need telling twice and took off, tripping over their long hats. Bunny threw his boomerangs with ease, striking down Nightmares left and right, while above him Sandy whipped with all his might and Tooth continued to slice through the Nightmares with her wings, her Mini Fairies doing the same.

Helen reached the worktop and shoved Jamie underneath; she remained standing in an effort to protect them, and Jack stood in front of her with his staff raised.

Pitch appeared not far off, glaring at them. "I've been waiting a long time to do this to you, Frost. And you, Bennett; the two of you ruined everything for me."

With a battle cry, Jack took off through the air towards Pitch. But Pitch vanished, and it took Jack a few seconds to halt his attack before he glanced around for any signs of the shadowy figure. Too late did he realize it was a ploy to get him away from the children – and when several Nightmares surrounded him, like they were doing with the other Guardians, he found that he couldn't get back to them.

Pitch appeared before the children, and Helen stood in front of her siblings to protect them. "Don't you even _dare_."

"Spirited girl, aren't you?" said Pitch. "So full of...light. Even more light than your brother." He chuckled. "What's your name?"

"It's Helen."

He chuckled again. "Tell me, Helen; do you not _fear_ the Nightmares surrounding you?" The man gestured to the surrounding Nightmares, who were snorting in a threatening manner.

Helen looked at them, then back at Pitch. "To be honest, I've never had a Nightmare before."

The smile left Pitch's face. "Of course you have. Every child has experienced at least _one_."

"I haven't." She shrugged.

The Boogeyman's eyes narrowed. "Then I'll enjoy snuffing out that incredible light of yours."

Jamie suddenly leapt up. "Don't touch my sister!" He ran at Pitch and barrelled into him, knocking him off balance, but Pitch was able to regain his footing before he fell.

He then grabbed Jamie by the shirt and threw him away, before stalking towards him. "This should be pleasant."

Helen's eyes widened, and with an expression of pure rage, she launched herself at Pitch. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

That's when something extraordinary happened.

When she grabbed Pitch's hands in an effort to push him back, a blinding light emanated from her _own_ hands, and Pitch suddenly felt a burning sensation which caused him to snatch his hands back with an unnatural cry of pain. Helen fell backwards, unsure what she had done, and landed on her behind before taking in deep breaths to calm herself down.

Examining his hands Pitch realized that they looked...human. Not the sickly grey they had become with his transformation; the natural colour they had been before – when he himself had been human. He cried out in horror and immediately dunked his hands in the shadows, allowing them to turn back. His mind worked fast, recalling a memory he had kept buried for so long. _Only one has ever done that to me_.

He turned to look at Helen, who was panting for breath and staring at him with frightened, uncertain eyes. Those eyes...he had seen those eyes before...long ago...but younger... In his mind he heard the cry of a baby as the memory flashed across his eyes, and those same eyes widened at the very possibility that was before him.

_No...this is impossible..._

Jack was then in front of him and sent an icy blast in his direction. The surrounding Nightmares turned into ice before exploding, and with a cry of shock, Pitch shielding himself and sunk back into the shadows, disappearing altogether.

Once he was certain the Boogeyman was gone, Jack turned his full attention on Helen and held out a hand to help her up. "Are you OK? Did he hurt you?" Jamie and Sophie hurried over as well, along with the other Guardians.

Helen didn't accept his outstretched hand – she didn't even nod her head in reply. Her thoughts were still on what had happened.

"How did I do that?" she asked. "There was this blinding light..."

"It was probably the same thing I did when I turned his Nightmares into dreamsand," Jamie suggested.

But Helen didn't look convinced – she didn't have any idea what her brother was talking about. "But not only that, after I hurt him Pitch looked at me strangely. Almost...almost as if he _recognized_ me from somewhere."

Jack saw the worried look upon Bunny's face and wondered what this could mean.

* * *

"And let's not forget that half price plate set you brought for the dining room, which was also half of what it said on the box; six plates instead of twelve!"

"I _want_ to forget about that, but I can't do that if you keep _reminding_ me!"

The sun was setting, and Lowell and Bernadette were _still_ arguing. They hadn't noticed the time of day, _or_ the fact that their children still hadn't returned home.

That is, until Abby barked to get their attention, leaping up and down between them. The two adults blinked in surprise and looked down at the dog. "Abby? What is it, girl?" Bernadette asked.

The dog barked again and turned her head towards the setting sun. Lowell blinked in surprise. "Wow. Time flies when you're having fun arguing." He sighed, averting his gaze to the ground. "Great, we were arguing..."

Bernadette did the same. "After we promised the kids as well...and Helen..." She looked at Lowell. "Well done."

"Hey, you started it!" he pointed out, holding up his hands in defence.

The woman went to answer him back, but restrained herself and instead face-palmed. "We're doing it again. Let's just...go inside and find the kids."

Lowell nodded and they both walked inside, oblivious to Abby pointing her nose in the direction the children had _actually_ gone in. She did the closest thing to an eye-roll a dog could do before following the adults inside.

A few minutes later, Lowell and Bernadette realized that their kids weren't in the house. "It's getting late," said the father. "Shouldn't they be home by now?"

"Jamie sometimes stays out late to play with his friends," said Bernadette.

"You mean those friends?" Lowell pointed out through the window at where the group of kids from earlier were playing. They were Jamie's friends, all right; Caleb, Claude, Monty, Pippa and Cupcake. But Jamie, Sophie and Helen were nowhere to be seen.

Bernadette began to take in deep breaths in order to calm herself down. "OK, don't panic. They have to be around here somewhere."

Abby barked to get their attention, before running outside. Lowell and Bernadette followed, and at the end of the front path, they watched as Abby gestured for them to follow her. The former couple exchanged glances.

"She might be able to smell them?" Lowell suggested.

His ex-wife shrugged. "Worth a shot." They hurried after the dog as she ran along the path, towards the nearby pond. When they arrived, though, Abby sniffed around a certain spot before barking at thin air.

The parents scanned the area, and while they could see footprints, there was no other sign of life. Bernadette began to fear that maybe the kids had fallen through the ice of the pond, but there were no cracks or holes to show for it. She and Lowell followed the footprints until they stopped dead and didn't continue.

Which was bizarre.

"They just stop," said Lowell.

"I know, I can see." Bernadette bit her lip with worry as she scanned the area again. "They have to be around here somewhere. Come on. We'll search the area." She grabbed Lowell's hand and pulled him with her.

Abby continued to sniff at the ground where the footprints had stopped, and looked up when Bernadette whistled for her to come. The dog looked up at the space in the air again before trotting to catch up with the adults.

* * *

"OK, so now Pitch most likely wants revenge for you guys defeating him?"

The Guardians nodded. They had just finished telling Helen about what happened months before, and how it involved her brother and sister. "He's always wanted what we have," North said.

"But what he needs to understand is that while a little bit of fear is all right, too much does damage," Bunny added.

"I can see your point," said Helen. "But that doesn't explain how I was able to do that weird...light thing."

"I told you; the same thing happened when I turned the black sand into dreamsand," Jamie insisted.

But Jack shook his head. "A lot of people can do that. She made light out of nowhere. Almost...as if she _found_ it."

This time Tooth shook her head. "It could have been made from her desire to protect her brother," she suggested. "That instinct against Pitch's shadows created light."

Helen frowned. "But it hasn't happened before?"

"That's because you have not fought Pitch before." North placed a hand on her shoulder. "I find that us Guardians find our Center when we fight him. That's how I found mine."

_Center?_ Helen didn't know what he was talking about. "What do you mean by that?"

"All Guardians have a Center," North explained. "It connects us with our duties; it is what we are able to bring to children. I bring Wonder." He gestured around his workshop, at all the toys being made by the yetis. "Bunny brings Hope." He pointed to Bunny, who held out an egg to Sophie; she took it with a smile. "Sandy brings Dreams." His arm extended towards Sandy, who created a stream of dreamsand which turned into dolphins. "Tooth brings Memories." Tooth revealed a small baby tooth in her hand. "And Jack brings Fun." Jack smiled as he created a snowball in his hand.

Helen could see what he meant; the Guardians brought together the most important parts of childhood and made sure every child experienced them. But she couldn't understand why North was telling her this.

"But I'm not a Guardian," she told him.

He chuckled. "You don't have to be a Guardian to have a Center. Your Center is what drives your purpose in life. What is yours?"

Before Helen could answer, there was a disturbance down the hall. The kids and the Guardians turned to see elves scattering in panic; the Guardians leapt to their feet, weapons drawn in case Pitch had come back for more.

But instead of Pitch, a white goose appeared, honking and flapping its wings around in panic before collapsing to the floor.


	5. Chapter Four: An Old Friend

So something amazing happened today.

My writing friend nineteennintytwo was able to win an art request over on deviantArt. What did she ask for? A picture of Helen, as a gift for me.

(HTTP:) /roseandthorn. deviantart. (C0M) / # / d5obzvw (Just take out the spaces and brackets, change the '0' to 'o' in C0M and de-capitalize when you C&P...I hate it when FF does this...)

It's seriously awesome! And I was so touched. Thank you once again, Twoie. I adore it. :)

On another note, this chapter includes a character from the original _Guardians of Childhood_ books; Katherine, now known as Mother Goose.

DON'T FORGET TO FLOSS! Oh, and don't forget to leave a review, too. xD

* * *

The Guardians and the children stared at the goose, which picked itself up from where it had crashed on the floor before ruffling up its feathers, giving its head a shake. It then turned and looked up at North before honking loudly over and over.

"A goose?" Jamie questioned. "What's a goose doing here?"

North was the most surprised out of all of them. "It's one of Katherine's geese."

"Katherine?" Jack exchanged a confused glance with Helen; he hadn't heard of this 'Katherine'. "Who's Katherine?"

Sandy tried to reply, images of books and geese appearing in the sand above his head, but neither Jack or the children could understand what he was saying. Bunny rolled his eyes. "Mother Goose," he said. "The Guardian of Imagination."

"There's another Guardian?" asked Jamie. "I thought it was only you guys? Why wasn't she helping you all before?"

"And why isn't she here now?" Helen added.

"That's because Papa Wolf here didn't want her going near Pitch," said Bunny, giving North a nudge with his elbow.

North pushed him away. "You know Pitch always had obsession with turning her into Nightmare Princess. I couldn't risk it!"

The goose honked again to get their attention, followed by several more honks as it made wild gestures with its wings.

"Does anyone here speak goose?" asked Jack.

"We don't need to speak goose to know why he is here," said North. He grabbed his hat and coat from where it hung by the fireplace. "There is only one reason Katherine would send one of her geese to us; something's wrong."

The Guardians made their way towards where North kept his sleigh, the children and the goose following behind them. By the time they reached the ice cave the sleigh was already being prepared, the reindeer jumping about while the yetis tried to hold them steady. Helen's eyes widened at the sight of it; she had been expecting an old wooden thing like she usually saw on Christmas Cards, but this...

"That is one tricked-out sleigh."

"Just wait until it flies, Baby Tooth," Jack told her.

The girl turned and gave him a raised eyebrow. "Baby Tooth? What sort of nickname is that?"

"You have a baby tooth when you shouldn't." He shrugged.

"Fine, two can play at that game, Frostbite."

Jack just chuckled, giving her a nudge with his elbow. It was enough to leave behind a cold patch on her arm...which turned into a tingling sensation which Helen had read about on the internet – the sensation of a boy touching a girl. But she shook her head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. _Stupid teenage hormones..._

The last thing she wanted to do was fall for a guy she barely even knew.

Her thoughts were thankfully distracted when North stood next to the sleigh and clapped his hands loudly. "Hop in! All of you!"

Jamie and Sophie immediately leapt in, getting a front seat while Jack and Helen sat either side of them. The goose hopped into Jamie's lap. Tooth and Sandy sat down behind them, but Bunny hesitated. "I think I'll be taking my tunnels, mate..." But then North grabbed him and sat him down in between Tooth and Sandy, who both smirked knowingly; they were all aware of Bunny's fear of flying. "Well, the least you can do is install some seatbelts. There's kids in here."

"Done." Seatbelts appeared...but only for the children, who found themselves strapped in tightly by the lap belts across their waists.

Bunny was at least satisfied by that...but he still looked confused. "What about us, mate?"

North laughed. "You don't _need_ one." He grabbed the reins and cracked them; the reindeer launched forwards at a tremendous speed, and as they ran through the icy tunnels beneath North's workshop, all that could be heard was the laughter from the children and Bunny's embarrassing screams of terror.

* * *

The sleigh appeared out the other end of the portal, which closed behind them; the snow globe dropped and North caught it in his hand. Below them was a vast woodland covered in snow, and in the centre was a large tree with many doors and windows. It would have been a magical sight – if not for the circumstances.

"Moi deti!" North swore.

Nightmares were soaring out from the tree, and many geese like the messenger were chasing after them, honking all the way. Tooth soared out of the sleigh and joined the geese in their chase, alongside the messenger goose. Jack did the same. But by the time they got close enough to the tree, the Nightmares were gone.

North circled the tree wildly, looking for signs of any more Nightmares, before landing the sleigh on the ground in the snow. North instantly hopped out and strode towards the main entrance of the tree; Bunny needed help from Jamie and Sophie getting out, his face still a little green from the ride.

"Tunnels," he muttered over and over. "Definitely taking my tunnels next time."

Everyone hurried after North, who – swords in hand – burst through the giant wooden doors of the tree and called out in a loud, booming voice, "KATHERINE!"

His eyes then widened at the sight before him, and the others gasped. What had once been a grand library – with shelves so high one would have to fly to reach the top – had been reduced to a mess of ripped pages and scattered books. Geese were everywhere, trying to clear up the mess with their beaks and wings, honking violently.

Then a large goose flew down and landed before them, and sat on its back was a woman; she wore a white shirt which extended over her head, covering her hair, although a few curls were sticking out to show that it was brown. A red waistcoat sat over the top of her middle, golden threat lining the neck, and a long blue skirt hung down, partly covering the brown leather boots upon her feet. On top of her head was a brown, wide brimmed hat, and upon her hands were a pair of long brown gloves.

The large goose honked at the Guardians, and the woman patted its feathers in a comforting manner. "Kailash, they're friends." She hopped down from the saddle of the goose and walked over to the new arrivals. "I'm so glad you could get here-"

She was cut off when North dropped his swords and brought her into a tight hug, muttering something in Russian.

The other Guardians watched them, looking a little awkward. "So...how close are they?" Helen asked.

"Long story." Bunny walked up to them both and pulled them apart. "North, let her breathe. Then she can tell us what happened."

Katherine panted for breath. "Still a huger, I see," she commented. Then her brown eyes fell upon Jack. "Ah, you must be the new Guardian, Jack Frost. I'm Katherine." She held out a hand.

Jack didn't take it. "I would shake, but my hand is ice cold," he informed her.

Then Katherine's eyes fell upon the Bennett children. "And that must be Jamie Bennett with his sister, Sophie. And...?"

"Helen Bennett," Helen supplied for her.

Katherine blinked, and Helen could have sworn she almost looked surprised to see her...but the moment passed, and North spoke up. "So tell us what happened. Was it Pitch?" he asked, picking up his swords again.

The woman nodded. "He came and trashed everything. This will take a lot of work to clean up. It'll put me behind schedule, and...ugh..." She hung her head low.

"What do you do, anyway?" asked Jack.

"I write stories for children," Katherine explained. "I have a special quill; a feather from Kailash," She nodded over to the giant goose, "which I use to write them with. Then, once the book is done, I place it on the shelf and the story is transported into the mind of a writer or a parent. Then they write the story for the children read, or tell it to them. But now..." She sighed.

North screwed his eyes shut, his grip tightening on the swords he held. "I should have been here. I would have protected you!"

"North, Pitch wanted to turn me into a Nightmare Princess back when I was a _child_. I'm a woman now; things are different." Katherine folded her arms across her chest. "I can defend myself."

North raised his hands in defence. "Yes, I know, but...I can't let anything happen to you after..." He trailed off, unable to finish.

Katherine understood. "Nightlight." All the Guardians looked down sadly.

The children and Jack looked at one another, confused. "Who's Nightlight?" Helen asked.

"Another Guardian," Bunny replied.

"He...perished in the Dark Ages," North continued. "He was the Guardian of Light; the only one with the power to truly rid the world of Pitch. But he sacrificed himself in order to do it."

"All in vain," said Tooth. "We thought he had succeeded, but now Pitch is back..."

"Wow," said Helen. "Sounds like a lot of stuff happened back then."

Jamie looked curious. "What _did_ happen back then?"

"That is a very long, complicated story," Bunny spoke up before anyone else could.

Tooth's eyes lit up. "Oh! I think Katherine has a book all about it!" Bunny face palmed behind her. "The story was documented inside Mr. Qwerty, right?"

"But that's just it," Katherine spoke up. "Pitch took him."

The Guardians stared. "Pitch took him?" North repeated, and his friend nodded.

"Uh, who's Mr. Qwerty?" Jack asked.

"And how is a story documented inside him?" Helen asked.

Katherine pointed to a picture on the wall; it was of a peculiar insect, its wings being the front and back cover of a book, and on the book's spine was a small face and six legs beneath it. Glasses sat on its face in front of its eyes.

"Mr. Qwerty held all _our_ stories inside of him," she explained. "It allows parents to tell their children about the legends of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and so on. Everything about us – where we came from, and how we came to be Guardians – is documented in that book. Even yours, Jack. Heck, even _Pitch's_ back story is in there."

Jack looked thoughtful. "So if Pitch has this Mr. Qwerty..."

"...then he can rip out the pages and destroy the stories," Helen finished. "And with no stories, parents can't tell them to their kids."

"And belief will fade," Jamie realized.

"Worse yet," Bunny spoke up. He looked North dead in the eyes. "He could read it and learn our secrets. _Every_ secret." He made a small gesture over to the Bennett children – more specifically, Helen.

North got the picture. "Then we need to find Pitch and get back Mr. Qwerty!" he announced. "To _Burgess_ we go!"

But then a goose appeared alongside Katherine. "Snowy, what have you to report?" The goose honked in reply. "He's not there?" Katherine turned to the other Guardians. "Snowy here says that Pitch isn't in his old lair; the one you told me about, located outside _Burgess_. There's not a trace of anyone living there. He must have found another one."

Heads were hung low. "So much for that," said Jack.

"What do we do now?" asked Jamie.

North paced back and forwards, thinking – until his eyes lit up. "Idea!" He pointed his sword at Bunny, who ducked to avoid the blade. "We have to look in _every_ possible location!"

"Every possible... You mean look under every bed in the world?" asked Bunny.

"Exactly!"

Helen's jaw dropped. "Do you realize how many beds that is? It'll take forever!"

"Nope. Just one night," said North. "I deliver the same amount of presents in same time."

"And I hide more than that in eggs in _one day._" Bunny smirked.

"And with my fairies, things will get done faster!" Tooth spoke up. "I suggest splitting off into groups."

"But if we're in groups, then it'll be easier for Pitch to attack us," Bunny pointed out.

Jack shrugged. "I don't know. If we split up, things will move quicker. And it's better than being on our own."

"And let's not forget that _we_ need help," Jamie spoke up, gesturing to himself and his sisters.

Katherine smiled. "OK, then. It's settled."

* * *

In a city in Russia, the Guardians were flying – and hopping, in Bunny's case – over roofs. Katherine rode Kailash at the front of the pack, while the others followed behind; Tooth and Sandy flying together, North in his sleigh with Jamie sat next to him, Bunny below with Sophie on his shoulders and Jack soaring along with Helen gripping his hoody.

"Why did I agree to come along with _you_?" she yelled above the wind.

Jack smirked in reply. "Because I'm just that charming, Baby Tooth!"

"Will you stop calling me that, Frostbite?"

"So long as you stop calling me 'Frostbite'."

"I thought that didn't bother you?" She glanced down, then gripped Jack tighter. "I knew I should have gone with Katherine."

Katherine whistled. "All right, let's split! Go, go, go!"

Each group split off, heading in a different direction.

* * *

Jack and Helen arrived in a dimly lit bedroom, and unwilling to switch on a light, Jack got Helen to crawl all the way under the bed.

"Come on, make some of that light from before," he encouraged her. "Or find it, or...whatever it was you did."

Suddenly she squeaked and shot out again, scrambling to climb on top of a chair – then a desk, then a wardrobe. "There's a...there's a..."

"Pitch?" But when Jack turned to see what she was pointing at, he saw a tiny spider crawl out from under the bed. He deflated from his defensive position and gave the girl an unamused look.

* * *

Above a small village in France, Jamie steered the reins of the sleigh as North hopped in and out of chimneys below. But when North hopped out of the fifth, he heard a large crash.

Looking down in the front garden, he saw that Jamie had crashed the sleigh. The boy looked hesitant.

"Does this mean I'm on the naughty list?"

North was about to answer when an upstairs light switched on, and he cringed. "If you can get sleigh into air again in five seconds, I'll let you off."

* * *

A few blocks away, a portal opened underneath a bed. Sophie appeared and crawled out, but when Bunny went to follow, he ended up hitting his head.

"Ow! Crikey!" he hissed.

Sophie crawled back underneath the bed and giggled at him. Bunny couldn't help but smile a little.

* * *

Sandy looked under the bed of another kid, and satisfied that nothing was there, he turned to depart. But catching something out of the corner of his eye, he turned back to the bed and gave a stern look.

Tooth was hovering above the kid, her hands in his mouth as she inspected the teeth. The boy thankfully hadn't woken up. Above Sandy's head, and image of hands appeared in the sand before the image of a mouth appeared; he play-acted the hands coming out of the mouth. In other words: _hands out of mouth_.

The fairy cringed. "Sorry. Couldn't resist."

* * *

Katherine peered under the bed of another kid, but when she looked back up again, she came face to face with a growling Doberman.

"Nice doggie..." she tried, holding up her hands to calm the dog down.

Then Kailash stuck her head in the window and honked loudly. The dog jumped in surprise, and whimpering, he hid under the bed in fright. Katherine gave Kailash a stern look, and the goose hung her head in shame.

* * *

Jack and Helen arrived in a room belonging to the daughter of a rich businessman – and the bed was huge.

"OK, you crawl in one side, I'll crawl in the other," said Helen. Jack nodded before leaping over the bed and getting down on his belly. Helen did the same.

They crawled forwards, further and further under the bed, further and further into the dark. It became so dark that they couldn't see each other...

...until they bumped faces, nose touching nose.

Both leapt back. "Talk about Jack Frost nipping at your nose," said Helen.

"I wasn't nipping!"

* * *

North was climbing out the window of a bungalow, ready to go. "OK, Jamie! Let's get out of...here..." His face fell at the sight before him.

The sleigh had landed, and the reindeer were eating the carrots in the vegetable plot. Jamie was whipping the reins over and over, but neither of them were moving. "Hi-yar. Go. Giddie-up." He had mostly given up by this point.

The man sighed, shaking his head before face-palming.

* * *

In a bedroom in South Africa, Bunny was peering carefully under a child's bed with Sophie next to him, and noticed a pair of yellow eyes staring back.

"Ah-ha!" he exclaimed. "A Nightmare!" He went to crawl under. "Looks like we found Pitch's- OW!" He re-emerged again with a small lizard attached to his nose.

"Bunny got an ouch-y!" Sophie laughed, pointing at him.

"Ow! Get this little nipper off me!" Bunny hopped up and down, tugging at the lizard. Sophie just laughed some more and imitated his hops.

* * *

After checking under another bed, Sandy looked up...to find that Tooth was gone. He looked outside the window and saw her flying around with a group of Mini Fairies, collecting the teeth of children.

"Four bicuspids over there! An incisor two blocks east! And I think that's a molar in that window down there!" She ended up pointing to the window where Sandy was stood, and seeing his unamused expression, she cringed – for the fiftieth time that night. "Sorry. Got carried away again."

Sandy just shook his head.

* * *

Katherine was about to look under the bed of another kid when she heard a disturbance coming from the window. She looked over and sighed.

Kailash had tried to climb in, and had ended up getting herself stuck. Shaking her head, Katherine walked over to her and leaned an elbow against the goose. "What am I going to do with you, girl?"

The goose just honked in response.


	6. Chapter Five: Fallen Tooth

Sometimes I wonder why this site doesn't make reviewing compulsory when people fav or alert a story.

I know a story fav or a story alert is a good thing in itself. It shows that people are reading the story from afar, and sometimes, I can understand. But sometimes - after I put so much effort and so much work into chapters - all I need is some kind of review which tells me I'm doing things right, or likewise, doing things wrong. Sometimes, I wonder whether or not my writing is good enough; if it was good enough, people would tell me instead of stay silent.

And then, it pisses me off when some fangirl comes along and writes a story with bad grammar, bad spelling and a bad plot, but then gets hundreds upon hundreds of reviews just because she's satisfied the dreams of hundreds of other fangirls like her. Meanwhile the authors who put time and effort into their work get left in the dark because people "don't get their work".

You may think I'm being ungrateful. I'm not. Being ungrateful is demanding reviews on the threat of not updating anymore. I'm just saying something that's been on my chest for a long time, and I know other authors experience the same dilemma. Consider this, people; if an author publishes a story, and they don't get many reviews, they begin to wonder whether people like the story, which eventually leads to the question: why bother? Why bother continuing to write if no one's reading it? Because that's what it leads to - and if the story is good, but people don't review because they either don't feel like it or are simply too lazy, then writers lose their confidence and just stop writing. Or worse, they delete the story altogether.

I have seen this happen many times. And it's just sad, because even something simple like "good job" or "I like this" can make a writer's day, and lets them know that there's readers out there who are anxious to read more.

So next time you fav or alert a story, consider how much time the author has probably spent writing it. Sometimes a fav or an alert just isn't enough.

**And I wonder how many people just ignored that. **

* * *

Red and blue lights flashed outside the Bennett home. Night had fallen, and the cops had been called once it became certain that Helen, Jamie and Sophie were missing. Lowell was talking to an officer.

"Jamie's about this high," He held up his hand to above his waist, "and Sophie's...smaller. Here's a picture." He handed over the picture of the three children which he was holding in his hand.

The officer took a good look at it. "So you didn't see where they went?"

"We didn't see them go," Lowell admitted. "My ex-wife and I were...having an argument."

"This close to Christmas?" The officer shook his head. "Son, I have three ex-wives, two ex-fiancées and an ex-girlfriend, along with a current wife who I don't get along with too well, either. And yet, at Christmas, we _all_ get along because...well...it's Christmas."

Lowell sighed before turning to look at Bernadette; the woman was sat in the snow on the ground, leaning up against the fence of their front yard and taking in deep breaths. _She could never handle these situations_. He walked over to her and crouched down, before carefully laying a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find them."

Bernadette bit her lip, just as an ice cold tear fell from her eye. "If we had only made a better effort not to argue... That's why they ran off. We broke our promise to them, and they had enough. _I_ would have run off." She placed her face into her hands and began to sob.

Rubbing her shoulder gently, Lowell tried his best to comfort her. "Hey, hey, it'll be all right. I know Helen would make sure her brother and sister are safe, and Jamie acts far older than he actually is. Wherever they are, they'll be fine. They have each other."

This seemed to do the trick, and Bernadette sniffed as she wiped away her tears. "We need to keep looking for them." She went to stand up, but she was so cold that her legs couldn't take it, and if Lowell hadn't grabbed her she would have fallen straight back into the snow.

"Easy," he told her. "Take it easy. The cops have it covered. I know you want to find them; I do, too. But you're frozen all the way through; it'll do the kids no good when they return home and find their mother has frozen to death."

Bernadette laughed a little. "There's that sense of humour I used to pretend to love."

Lowell rolled his eyes, but the smile was there. "Come on. Let's get you inside and make you a hot chocolate."

His ex-wife nodded before allowing him to lead her inside. If both had chosen to look up into the sky at that very moment, the search for their children would have been over.

* * *

Helen didn't notice her hometown beneath her; she was too busy enjoying the ride.

"Whoo-hoo! This is amazing!" she yelled happily as Jack flew in circles across the sky. The girl was gripping his hoody tightly while lying across the boy's back, and Jack had a hand clutched over one of hers to make sure she didn't fall. "We're like Peter Pan and Wendy."

Jack looked nervous, thankfully going unnoticed by Helen. "We could even get one of Tooth's fairies to play Tinker Bell."

The girl laughed...and then self-consciously, she found herself pressing a cheek against his shoulder. Jack, for the first time in his life as a spirit of winter, felt his face flush. This faded though when Helen said, "You're very cold you know, Frostbite."

He chuckled. "Jack _Frost_. Clue in the name." When they flew above the woods nearby _Burgess_ Jack landed in a clearing, and Helen let go of him before looking around curiously.

"Why are we here?" she asked. "This isn't a kid's bedroom. This isn't..._anywhere_."

"I just wanted to double-check Pitch's old lair in case Katherine's goose missed something," Jack explained. His blue eyes scanned the area, looking for the familiar child's bed that marked the spot. "Since, you know, it was a _goose_."

Jack found the spot...but the bed was gone, and in its place were broken pieces of wood. The hole was still there, though. Helen raised an eyebrow. "This? This hole is his _lair_? He needs an upgrade, or at least _something_ civilized."

"It's a belief thing," said Jack. He used his staff to push aside the broken pieces of wood. "You only get a palace or a fancy home if you're believed in."

"So what about yours?"

"I don't have one." Jack sighed. "My believers are growing, but it's still not many."

Helen didn't know what to say to that, apart from, "Oh." Remembering back to what she had been told, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy. Centuries alone with no one – apart from the Guardians – ever seeing him, having no clue who he was before and what he was supposed to be doing. And yet he didn't become bitter about it or tried to destroy the other Guardians, like Pitch did. _Even now, he doesn't have many believers_, Helen realized. _And he's not complaining. The guy's not as cocky as I first thought_.

"It doesn't matter," said Jack, bringing Helen back to the present. "I'm not one for palaces, anyway. I mean, imagine a guy like me living in an _ice palace_? I'm not the Snow Queen, or anything." Jack went to jump into the hole, but Helen grabbed his arm.

"I don't think this is a good idea. What if Pitch really _is_ down there?" she asked. "It might be better to wait for the others."

Jack gave her a comforting look. "Baby Tooth, relax. Pitch is no match for this." He held his staff firmly in his hand. "And in case you've forgotten, he's no match for _you_, either. You had him running. But just in case, stay here."

He jumped in. Helen looked around hesitantly; not wanting to be left alone, she quickly did the same.

* * *

Pitch's lair was the same, but also different to what Jack remembered.

The many cages were either open or broken, swinging gently in the non-existent breeze. Of course all the boxes containing the teeth were gone, leaving a lot of room to move around, and Jack also noticed that the dark globe had gone, as well. He stared at the empty space where it had been.

"Missing something?"

Jack swung around to see Helen staring at him curiously. "Helen, you shouldn't be down here!"

"And why not?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Because like you said; what if Pitch really _hasn't_ left this place?"

"_You_ said he was no match for me."

Jack sighed and placed his head in his hand. "And to answer your question, there was a globe here like North's, which told him how many children believed in us. He must have taken it with him when he left this place. Now, if it's OK with you: go."

"Not without you, Frostbite."

He sighed, but then he nodded. "OK. Fine. I just want to double-check everything. It looks abandoned, but Pitch could have made it look that way in order to trick us." He wandered over to the open cages and began to inspect them.

Helen stood patiently, waiting for him to be done with it, when she got a strange feeling in her stomach. It wasn't butterflies, which she usually got whenever she was nervous or excited about something; it was an entirely new feeling, and it caused her to knot her eyebrows together in confusion.

Then she began to hear voices in her head. _Danger. Darkness coming. Run. Danger. Behind you. Go_. She looked around her; there was no danger, and there was certainly no one behind her. Looking back at Jack, she found him still inspecting the cages; he apparently hadn't heard the voice, or sensed anything unusual. So Helen tried to ignore it.

But then the voices became more urgent, and sounded like they was shouting in her head. _Danger! Run! Behind you! Darkness! It's coming!_ Screwing her eyes shut, Helen held her head like she was in pain, trying to will the voice to stop. It resulted in her letting out a groan.

Jack heard and turned around. "Helen, are you..." But then his eyes widened. "Behind you! Watch out!"

Helen's eyes snapped open and she turned...just in time to see Pitch take a swipe at her with a large mallet made of black sand.

She was able to duck out of the way just in time, leaping to the floor and landing with a thud. Before Pitch could take advantage of her weak position Jack landed in front of her and blasted Pitch with a shot of ice. Pitch dodged the shot, and then shot at Jack with black sand. Jack shot ice again, and the two shots met in the centre where they created black ice.

"You better not touch her," said Jack. "It'll hurt you more than it'll hurt her." Behind him, Helen picked herself up before glaring at Pitch.

The Boogeyman raised his hands up in defence. "I don't want things to get messy." His eyes fell upon Helen. "I'm just admiring your power. Imagine what you could accomplish if you could turn things _dark_ instead of light?"

Jack shot another blast of ice at Pitch, and while the Boogeyman was dodging out of the way, the boy grabbed Helen and flew past him, flying up and out of the hole.

* * *

In the skies, the rest of the Guardians had met up. Bunny and Sophie had joined North and Jamie in the sleigh, while Tooth and Sandy flew next to it and Katherine rode Kailash alongside them. None of the Guardians had found any trace of Pitch under any of the beds.

"We could try looking in other dark places?" Katherine suggested.

The other Guardians besides Bunny sighed, deflating at the thought of going around the world again. The first run had left them tired.

Bunny, however, wasn't about to give up yet. "Hey, we need to get Mr. Qwerty back, remember? Those stories are important; they keep belief alive! And remember what will happen if Pitch reads it?" He shot at look at North, Tooth, Katherine and Sandy.

They understood. "Speaking of Helen," Tooth spoke up, "where is she? And Jack?"

Before any of them could reply Jack shot upwards with Helen in his grasp, causing Kailash to suddenly flap backwards with a surprised honk. In in instant Jack deposited Helen into the sleigh and held his staff at the ready. "It's Pitch! We found him!"

"Where is he?" Jamie asked. Then an army of Nightmares appeared, rising up like a tsunami and heading straight towards them all at a frightening speed. At the front of the stampede Pitch was riding one of the Nightmares, his face set with determination. Jamie's face fell. "Don't worry, I found him."

Katherine took out a large knife from her boot before sending Kailash at the Nightmare hoard. Sandy took out his whips and charged on the back of the dreamsand manta ray, and Tooth flew forwards with a small army of Mini Fairies. Jack charged as well, turning Nightmares into ice left and right.

North steered his sleigh at the oncoming Nightmares, before handing the reins to Jamie and standing on his seat, swords out; he cut several Nightmares as they came flying at him. Bunny remained in the back of the sleigh, throwing his boomerangs left and right while protecting Sophie and Helen.

Behind the sleigh Pitch appeared, riding his favourite Nightmare, Onyx. A bow and arrow made of black sand appeared in his hands, and raising them up to his face, he took aim at Helen before he fired. Helen saw it at the last moment and was able to get out of the way – but not without being knocked off her feet, causing her face to collide with the edge of the sleigh.

Inside her mouth something fell out of place, and peering over the side of the sleigh, Helen saw her baby tooth falling through the air towards the ground far below.

"My baby tooth!"

Before anything could be done a Nightmare swooped in and grabbed it, before taking it up to Pitch. He held the tooth in between his fingers, smirking down at Helen. "Now this is what I'm after." Black sand began to gather around him. "That's all from me. Goodbye, now."

Seeing the horrified look upon his sister's face, Jamie let out a cry of anger before grabbing the tail of one of the retreating Nightmares, tagging along with it towards the Boogeyman. There was a chorus of, "JAMIE!" as the boy leapt at Pitch, grabbing his arm and trying to get Helen's tooth back.

"Give me that tooth! It's Helen's!" He wrestled and kicked, giving Pitch a hard time. The Guardians tried to get to him, but more Nightmares appeared and were able to cut them off.

Helen watched helplessly as her brother battled the Nightmare King, until finally Pitch was able to gain the upper hand and grabbed Jamie by the wrist; he climbed higher into the sky. "I always said there were other ways to snuff out a light." He glared at the boy. "This is one of them."

And he let go.

"NO!" Helen screamed, and without a second thought leapt off the sleigh and onto a Nightmare. But unlike what happened with Jamie, the Nightmare beneath her turned golden in colour and became a dream stallion; she grabbed its mane and charged him towards her falling brother.

Seeing this, Pitch sent more Nightmares at the two siblings, determined to stop the rescue. The Guardians could only watch helplessly as the scene played out before them; just as Helen reached Jamie and caught him, they were engulfed by hundreds of Nightmares. Pitch laughed.

But then, in the centre of the fray, a blinding light began to build up.

The smile left Pitch's face as the light became brighter and brighter, until suddenly, the Nightmares surrounding the two siblings burst into dreamsand, creating a blast of energy so powerful it knocked the Boogeyman right out of the sky. The Guardians were able to stay put, and could hear the determined cry of Helen as she did what she had to do.

Then the two siblings began to fall.

Jack and Tooth reacted quickly; Tooth flew down and was able to grab Jamie, who was shaking in fear. Jack grabbed Helen with one arm, and realizing she had been knocked out, he took her back to the sleigh and laid her down inside.

She came round not long afterwards. "Jamie, are you all right?" was the first thing she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said her brother. "I wasn't the one who released an explosion of light."

"Oh yeah. That." Helen held her head, which was aching in pain from the amount of energy she'd used.

Jack gave her shoulder a rub. "At least you're OK. Pitch is gone."

"But he took Helen's tooth!" Jamie reminded them. "We have to get it back!"

"Jamie, don't worry," his sister assured him. "It's just a tooth."

"It's not just a tooth." Tooth landed in the sleigh next to her. "Every baby tooth contains an important memory from childhood, remember? Pitch now has that memory. And considering how long that tooth stayed in for, the memory must be _very_ important."

"But only Helen can access the memories," Jack pointed out. "And you and your fairies."

"And a blood relative," Tooth added. "But they can only see glimpses."

Helen shrugged. "Good thing Pitch isn't a blood relative, then."


	7. Chapter Six: Faded Memories

OK, so next chapter.

A huge thank you to those who reviewed, by the way. I was having a bad day yesterday, which is why I wrote that long author's note; it just...kinda came out. So yes; thank you to all those who reviewed. I really appreciate it and you all made me a very happy writer!

Anyway, towards the end of this chapter there's an adoption form. I tried researching how adoption forms are supposed to be, but the ones I found were too complicated, so I just did something simple. I know adoption forms don't look like it, but it's creative license. I didn't want to make things too complicated.

I hope people like it, and don't forget to review!

* * *

"So Pitch won't be back in his old lair?" Tooth asked.

"It was most likely a trap," said Jack. The group had arrived back at North's workshop so the man could continue to prepare for the big day; he was paranoid, taking extra precautions in case Pitch decided to try and ruin Christmas. "It looked abandoned; his globe wasn't even there."

Bunny nodded in agreement. "He was probably hoping we'd come and double-check. And he was right. He was after Helen's tooth."

"But why would he be after my tooth?" asked the girl. This was all new to her. "I know you said it'll hold an important memory, but what would Pitch want with one of _my_ memories?"

The Guardians exchanged glances, and Jack realized they knew something which he and the children didn't. "What's going on? Are you guys keeping secrets from me? I'm a Guardian now; I should be allowed to know."

"Yes, you are," Katherine agreed.

Bunny sighed. "But some secrets, you're...just not ready for. No offence, Frost, but you can be a bit of a blabber mouth."

"I'm not a blabber mouth, Kangaroo!"

"What did you call me?"

As the argument continued, Helen felt a strange tugging at the back of her head. She turned around to her siblings, but Jamie and Sophie weren't paying attention to her; they were busy watching Jack and Bunny argue. Then Helen felt it again, and she realized it wasn't someone pulling at her hair – it was coming from inside her head.

Suddenly there was a searing pain, and Helen cried out while holding her hands to her head. She collapsed to her knees, ignoring the startled cry from Jamie, Sophie's scream and the panicked yells from Jack and Bunny; everything that was happening around her was blocked out by the sudden, blurry images appearing before her eyes.

_...a blonde woman gazing down at her sadly..._

_...a girl who looked almost exactly like her sheltering her from shadows..._

_...the shadowy figure of a man standing before her..._

_...the face of a large rabbit smiling at her..._

Helen's eyes snapped open; she hadn't realized she'd closed them. _What...the __hell...was that?_ She didn't know, but was glad that the burning pain was gone. Only it had been replaced with an ache which still hurt. She moaned from the pain, the world around her spinning.

She then felt cold hands helping her up and remembered Jack, but Helen barely registered him before she passed out.

* * *

When Helen woke up, she recognized the faces of the Guardians and her siblings gazing over her. Her head was still aching, but not as bad as before. "What...what happened?"

"You suddenly cried out in pain while holding your head," said Tooth.

"Then you passed out," Bunny added. "You feeling OK, kid?"

Helen struggled to sit up in the bed she had been placed in, and once again she felt the freezing hands of Jack Frost assisting her. She blushed a little when the coldness of them sent tingling sensations up her arm. "Better now. Man, I hope _that_ never happens again."

"What _did_ happen?" asked Katherine.

Jamie nodded. "That's what I wanna know. You really scared me, sis."

Helen frowned, struggling to remember. "Well...the pain just...happened...and I saw...I saw... I'm not sure. I think I saw memories. They were blurry, and I couldn't make them out very well...but I saw them."

Tooth looked worried. "They must be the memories in your tooth."

The others looked at her, confused. "So?" said Jamie. "If the memories are coming back on their own-"

"They shouldn't be doing that," Tooth cut him off. "The fact that she doesn't possess her tooth _and_ that the memories were blurry can only mean one thing: Pitch is trying to break into the tooth – and making progress."

No one knew what to say to that. "How is that possible?" asked Helen. "You said only you and the child themselves can access the teeth, and only a blood relative can get glimpses of the memory."

"Pitch must have found another way in," Bunny concluded.

"This isn't good." Jack wrapped an arm around Helen, who had gone into shock. "If he continues to do it, he'll only cause Helen more pain. We have to find him. Fast."

* * *

Pitch's old lair was dark and silent, like it had been for the months following his defeat at the hands of the Guardians. But if one was to keep looking in the darkest corners of the lair, one would find an old child's bed with a hole underneath.

And if one was to crawl into that hole, they would find Pitch's _new_ lair hidden right underneath the old one.

Pitch himself was stood next to his globe, the lights of millions of children shining brightly around the world. But he wasn't focussed on that; he was holding Helen's tooth in his hand, trying to draw out the memory it contained. But apart from some blurry images he could barely make out, he wasn't making much progress.

"Stupid tooth!" he cursed. He went to throw it away, but stopped himself and looked down at it. He gave it a small nudge with his finger almost tenderly before shaking his head; he had to ignore those emotions from long ago.

Placing the tooth in his pocket, the Nightmare King walked over to where Mr. Qwerty was being kept in a cage; he had sealed himself shut so Pitch couldn't access the secrets he contained, and no matter how many times Pitch threatened him, he refused to open up. He knew Pitch couldn't carry out any of his threats; the Boogeyman needed the information too much in order to destroy it.

"I'll give you one last chance, book worm," Pitch threatened. "Open up, or I'll feed you to the Nightmares." He gestured over to where the Nightmares stood, snorting and glancing at Mr. Qwerty hungrily.

But Mr. Qwerty still refused. "Horses are herbivores. They don't eat insects like me. Besides, if you do that, you won't get what you need."

"Oh, go stuff a book mark in your mouth!" Pitch hit the cage, but Mr. Qwerty didn't even flinch. The Boogeyman turned away, deep in thought. _There has to be a way for me to get the conformation I need_.

Onyx flew into the lair and gave a soft whinny, causing Pitch to look up. She gestured up to the surface with her head, snorting over and over.

"They're not in the house?" Pitch asked. She nodded, then whinnied again. "Only the parents. Hmm. I wonder if those parents...kept anything which could be of use to me."

He walked over to Onyx and mounted her, before soaring out of the lair and up to the surface.

* * *

Bernadette sat on the couch in her dressing gown, gazing down at a picture in her hands. It was of the family before the divorce; Sophie was still only a baby, and Bernadette held the youngest Bennett in her arms while Lowell stood behind her, hands on her shoulders. Jamie and Helen were in front of them, Jamie trying to climb on Helen, and Helen trying to push him off. They were both laughing.

The woman knew she should have been in bed hours ago...but she couldn't sleep. No amount of hot chocolate could drain away the worry the mother had for her children.

"You're sitting on my bed, you know."

Bernadette looked up to see her ex-husband standing in the doorway, a mug of hot chocolate in his hand. He had raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I couldn't sleep. And judging by the hot chocolate, I'm guessing you couldn't, either."

Lowell sighed before walking over and taking a seat next to her. "You're right." He looked down at his hot chocolate before handing it to her.

But she shook her head. "It doesn't work." So Lowell went to take a sip from it...but then realized that he wasn't in the mood, and placed it down on the coffee table. The two sat there in silence before Bernadette spoke up again. "What happened?"

The man didn't know how to answer that. "What do you mean?"

"Us. What happened to us? To this family?" She showed him the picture she had been staring at. "Look at us; we used to be so happy. Before the arguments started. What did we even start fighting about?"

Lowell went to answer...but then realized he couldn't because...he couldn't remember. He couldn't remember what they had started fighting about; what had caused their first argument. "I don't know. I don't remember."

"Exactly," said his ex-wife. "If we don't even remember what we started fighting about, why are we letting it bother us now? Because we kept on arguing for reasons we don't even remember, our kids are gone. And that's sad. It's...heartbreaking."

Lowell could see what she meant. And he agreed. "So when the kids get back...we're going to stop fighting?"

"For Christmas, at least," said Bernadette. "And maybe longer. You know how close the kids are, especially Helen and Jamie. It'll be a shame to keep them apart longer than they should be. If they could visit each other more often, they'll be happier."

"Maybe Helen and I could move back to the States?" Lowell suggested. "I mean, not as close as next door, but closer than we are now. It'll save on air fair." Bernadette laughed, and then sighed. A silence passed between them before Lowell stood up. "Well, you better get off my bed and let me sleep."

The woman stood up...but seeing Lowell begin to lay down on the couch, she felt guilty – especially after what they'd just talked about. "Um...why don't you come sleep in the bed? I mean, you'll need good rest, and you won't get it on the couch, so..."

The man raised an eyebrow. "At the foot of the bed?"

"Sure." They exchanged a smile before Bernadette placed the picture back on the desk in the corner; Lowell then got up and followed his ex-wife up the stairs.

But if they had stayed a little longer, they may have noticed a dark shadow enter the house – that is, if they believed in the Boogeyman.

Pitch crept into the house via the shadows, and when he was certain that the parents had gone to bed, he appeared in full form. "Of course those weirdos wouldn't send the children back here. They would want to keep an eye on them." He took in a deep breath, smelling the air. "But judging by the scent of fear, they forgot to tell the parents. How irresponsible of them."

He walked over to a desk which looked promising. Upon it was the picture of the whole family; Pitch recognized Jamie and Helen, who were smiling and laughing, and he guessed that the baby was little Sophie. When his eyes fell upon the parents – the mother with brown hair and green eyes, and the father with blonde hair and brown eyes – he glared at them.

The fact that Helen didn't look anything like either of them began to confirm his suspicions.

Pitch opened one of the draws and rummaged around inside. He did this for the next ten minutes, creeping around the house and rummaging through draws, cupboards and wardrobes, but he found nothing. He cursed under his breath – until he found an address book.

And found that Helen lived with her father in _Puerto Rico_.

It didn't take him long to travel through the shadows to the right house, and once inside, he walked over to the first draw and rummaged inside. Finally he got what he was after; a folder which was marked as '_Helen's Adoption Records_' – more evidence to prove what he suspected. He opened it up, looking through the various files until he found the one he wanted.

_**Child's First Name: Helen**_

_**Birth Name: Unknown**_

_**Date of Birth: Unknown**_

_**Adoption Age: Newborn**_

_**Place of Birth: Unknown**_

_**Name of Birth Father: Unknown**_

_**Name of Birth Mother: Unknown**_

_**Reason for Adoption: Left on a doorstep**_

_**Date of Adoption: 1st September 1996**_

_**Name of Adoptive Mother: Bernadette Bennett**_

_**Name of Adoptive Father: Lowell Bennett**_

_This doesn't tell me enough_. Pitch looked in the draw again...and what he saw at the bottom made him freeze.

It was a blanket. It was folded neatly, and the top of it was covered in a layer of dust. Slowly and carefully, Pitch reached in and pulled it out. Folded inside it was a piece of paper which had been ripped, and all that was on it was part of her name: _Helen_.

It was then that Pitch knew.

A bright light appeared in the window, and turning to look outside, Pitch saw the moon glaring down at him. He chuckled, walking outside with the blanket still in his hand. "Don't look at me like that. You couldn't hide her from me forever. But I must admit, you and your Guardians hid her well. But now I've found her...and I want her back."


	8. Chapter Seven: Jack and Helen

Thank you once again for those of you who have taken the time to review this story. I really appreciate it! *salutes*

And for those of you who haven't seen it yet, I've posted a new RotG story called _Lullabies_. Feel free to read and review it like crazy! XD

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. :)

* * *

Jack sat by the window, hood over his head as he created a picture in the frost on the window.

He was worried about Helen; Pitch was showing an interest in her which the boy didn't like at all. She had remained in bed in order to recover, in a room North had set up for the children; her siblings had followed not long after, and Sandy had gone with them in order to provide the sweet dreams they needed.

_I wish I could do something to help her_, he told himself. _But what?_ The only thing he could think of was getting her tooth back, but he didn't know where Pitch was. Looking down, the boy found that he had drawn a picture of his new friend on the glass; he smiled, lightly touching the cheek as he imagined she was there for real.

Behind him he heard footsteps approaching, and judging by how heavy they sounded, he guessed it was North. "Look at it this way, Jack," he said. He knew what Jack was thinking about, and knew it was upsetting him. "At least no one got seriously hurt."

"Helen did." He turned. "It's obvious how much this is affecting her; Jamie said that Helen is usually so full of light and spirit, and now... Pitch has reduced her to a wreck."

North rested a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "I know how much you care for the Bennetts, Jack. Including her. I can see it in your eyes." A knowing smile crossed his face. "You, Jack Frost, _like_ her."

Jack realized what North meant by that. "No, no, not in _that_ way. I like her in a brother and sister way – but not in _that_ way."

The statement was met with a chuckle. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah. I mean, where did you get the idea from that I wasn't?"

North couldn't wipe the smirk off his face even if he tried. "In my opinion, all boys are the same; whether they're Guardians or not."

The boy's face fell. "You're ruining the moment."

North laughed this time, slapping Jack on the back and causing him to almost lose his balance on the windowsill. "If you say so." He sent Jack a wink before walking away to continue with the preparations for Christmas.

Jack watched him go – glaring at his back as he removed the hood from his head – before turning back to the window where the picture of Helen still remained, frozen against the glass. Once again he reached out and gently touched it. _Is she like a sister to me?_ He knew Jamie and Sophie were like a brother and a sister to him; he and Jamie were especially close.

But Helen?

He had only just met her, but despite this – and despite how much he had been messing with her – Jack felt a protective instinct towards her, like the one he felt towards the kids of the world, especially towards Jamie and Sophie. But this instinct was...different somehow. Helen was a lot older than the other kids, for starters, meaning it wasn't a big brother instinct he felt towards her. It was...something else.

Something deeper.

His thoughts were interrupted by a scream...and when it processed, he realized it was Helen's.

The instincts he was thinking about moments before kicked in and he was away in an instant, soaring through the workshop and leaving behind a trail of frost, but that didn't matter to him. He burst into the bedroom North had set up for the children; Helen was sat up in her bed, cradling her head while sobs kept on escaping from her throat. Jamie was on the bed with her and Sophie was still huddled in her own bed, the blankets wrapped tightly around her while Sandy tried to comfort her.

Jack was immediately on the bed next to the older girl and pulled her into a hug. "Calm down. It's all right."

"He did it again," Helen spoke, her voice shaking. "He tried...he tried to get into it again..." Jack held her closer, and surprisingly Helen didn't seem to mind how cold he was – either that, or she didn't notice.

The other Guardians suddenly burst into the room, weapons held at the ready and letting out loud battle cries, expecting to see Pitch and his Nightmares. But when they noticed Helen and saw no signs of the Boogeyman, their weapons were lowered.

Sophie leapt out of her bed and barrelled into Bunny, burying her face into his fur. Bunny gently picked her up and held her close to him, comforting her, before taking her out of the room. Katherine walked over to Jamie and took his hand in hers, leading him out of the room as well. North, Tooth and Sandy looked over at Jack, and he made a gesture for them to leave; he wanted to talk to Helen alone. The trio understood and left.

When they were gone, Jack pulled away from Helen slightly in order to talk to her. She looked up to reveal tears streaming down her face, and Jack refrained from wiping them away; he knew they would freeze on contact. "Are you feeling better?"

"A little." She nodded. "My head's stopped hurting. But I think he's getting better; the memories I saw were a bit clearer."

Jack blinked in surprise. "What did you see?"

Helen didn't reply for a few minutes; her gaze was averted down, and the boy could tell she was trying to gather her thoughts. "A woman," she finally spoke. "She had blonde hair and blue eyes. I think she was my mother."

"Your mother?" This was surprising. "But you don't have blonde hair _or_ blue eyes."

"I must look more like my father." Helen shrugged. "I didn't see him, though. And...there was someone else...but I couldn't see who it was. The memory must be faint in that part." She averted her gaze down. "Why is Pitch doing this? How am I important enough to have his attention? I mean, sure, I can turn black sand into dreamsand and create light for some unknown reason."

"It's not that you create light," said Jack. "You seem to just...find it."

"And why did he ask me about turning things dark?"

"You shouldn't listen to what he's telling you; he's Pitch. I once listened to him, and I've regretted it ever since."

She looked away, fiddling with a bit of skin which was peeling away from the edge of her fingernail. "I guess."

Seeing that she was still a little depressed, he decided to take a different approach. "But you know, you were pretty awesome standing up to Pitch like that, HB."

Helen turned to him and raised an eyebrow, the light returning to her eyes. "HB?"

"My new nickname for you," said Jack. "I can't call you 'Baby Tooth' anymore."

She gave him a friendly shove. "Yeah, well I'm still calling you 'Frostbite'."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She smiled at him, and it warmed Jack's heart – metaphorically speaking, of course – to see her like this again. Before he realized what he was doing he leaned in and pressed his lips against her cheek.

A magical blue mark was left behind from the contact, and for a moment Helen froze. Then she raised a hand and touched her cheek, which Jack noticed was turning red. He thought perhaps from the cold, but noticing how shy Helen suddenly looked, he realized she was...actually blushing.

Jack smiled. _So maybe North's right. But I'm never gonna tell him that_.

* * *

The next morning the children were helping North with the preparations for Christmas, along with the other Guardians, when Helen suddenly dropped a box of toys with a gasp, her eyes wide. The box unfortunately landed on the toe of a yeti, who cried out in pain.

All eyes turned towards Helen. "What's up?" asked Jack. He hoped Pitch wasn't trying to access her memories again...

"Mum and Dad!" she cried. "I completely forgot about them!" She turned towards Jamie and Sophie. "They'll be worried sick about us!"

But Jamie didn't look too worried. "Knowing them, they're probably still standing in the front yard arguing."

"Not even _they_ can go on for that long."

"Then they probably saw us gone and are having an argument about whose fault it is."

His sister rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter. We need to get back." She turned to North. "Could you open a portal back home with that weird...snow globe thing?"

"But if you go home, you'll be easy targets for Pitch," Tooth spoke up.

Jack stepped forwards. "They won't be if they're not alone. I'll go."

"Mate, remember what happened last time you did that?" Jack sent him a glare and Bunny backed down. "Sorry. I know, I shouldn't have said that. I'm just worried." He messed up Sophie's hair, and she giggled.

"We still need to get back," Helen continued. "I'm sure Jack can handle him. And in case you've all forgotten, _I_ can handle him too. Sure, I lost my tooth and he keeps giving me those headaches, but I haven't been seriously hurt. And in the mood I'm in, it'll be a bad idea on his part to mess with me."

North sighed. "I agree. You need to get home to your parents. But _be careful_."

"We'll keep you posted," said Katherine. "And we'll have someone else come and check on you all every day."

Taking out his globe, North said the destination before throwing it to the ground. A portal opened; Jamie was the first to go through, waving goodbye over his shoulder. Sophie gave Bunny a goodbye hug before hurrying through as well. Helen looked at Jack, who nodded, before the two of them disappeared.

* * *

On the other side, they arrived outside in their front yard. There was no sign of their parents; the places where they had been stood arguing yesterday were empty.

"Told you they wouldn't be there," said Helen, looking down at Jamie.

He shrugged. "Maybe they moved the argument inside?"

"Doubt it," said his sister. "Besides, I can't hear them." She looked over at the house, and through the windows she couldn't see any sort of movement. Her eyes narrowed. "In fact, I can't hear _anything_. I may have been living with Dad for the past few years, but doesn't Mum usually start preparing tomorrow's Christmas dinner now?"

"Yeah." Jamie nodded.

Helen pointed towards the kitchen. "She's not in there."

Jamie saw her point, and immediately hurried inside with Sophie not far behind him. Helen followed suit, and Jack – who had watched the exchange silently – hurried to catch up.

Once inside the children began calling for their parents, hurrying around the house in an effort to find them. But they found no one – not even Abby was around. The four met up in the hallway by the front door, all panting for breath, and all beginning to show worry in their eyes. Sophie began to sob, and Jamie wrapped an arm around her.

"It's OK, Soph," he told her. "Mummy and Daddy probably went to the store. Here, I'll get you some hot chocolate." He led her into the kitchen, but not before sending Helen a worried look.

The elder sister turned and walked into the living room before sitting herself down on the windowsill. Jack followed her, trying to think of a way to comfort her and put her worry at rest. "Maybe they're out looking for you all?"

Helen sighed. "They wouldn't stop arguing long enough to do that."

"You don't know that." He took a seat next to her. "You three missing could be enough to stop them arguing. Come on, Jamie said you could find the light in any situation; why not now?"

"Because when it comes to Mum and Dad, I'm always wrong," she admitted. "Ever since they divorced – and even when they argued before it happened – I always tried to find the light. But every time I did, something would happen to plunge everything into darkness again. I thought spending Christmas together this year would do it; it was my last chance. But..." She averted her gaze to the floor, unable to finish.

Jack placed a cold hand upon her knee. "North told me that Christmas was a time for miracles. It's one of the many things which brings the wonder to the season. Just have faith, and no matter what happens, hold onto the light you find and never let it go."

Helen still didn't look up, and the boy reached out and placed a finger under her chin, tilting it up again so their eyes met. As much as Helen didn't want it to happen, she couldn't help but get lost in those wondrous blue eyes of his... The world around them seemed to melt away, and for that one moment it was just them and no one else. Ever so gradually they began to lean in, their lips getting closer and closer...

Suddenly they heard the screams of Jamie and Sophie.

Both leapt to their feet just as Sophie ran into the room, screaming at the top of her lungs. "Monster! Monster!" She barrelled into Helen, hiding her face in her sister's clothes.

Jamie's frightened yell was heard from the kitchen, and Helen ran passed Sophie in a frenzy; behind her Jack picked up the little girl and followed. When they all entered the kitchen, they froze.

Pitch was holding Jamie by his wrists and raising him above the floor, the boy struggling in his grasp. Helen's eyes widened with horror and she became frozen to the spot. Jack put Sophie down, before immediately charging at the Nightmare King with his staff held firmly in his grasp. But Pitch sent black sand in Jack's direction and used it to throw him aside with ease.

Sophie screamed again when Jack crashed into the fridge. "Yes, scream while you can, little one," said the Boogeyman, before sending more black sand in her direction.

Helen immediately pulled Sophie behind her before holding up her hands; the black sand hit her and turned into dreamsand. But when Helen lowered her hands again, Pitch was gone.

And so was Jamie.


	9. Chapter Eight: Darkest Hour

OK, first off, is everyone alive? Yes? Good.

Secondly...considering I got less reviews than usual form the last chapter, people have either run screaming, "AAGGHH! It's one of THOSE stories!" or are now poking the story with uncertainty. I'll make things clear; there is a reason these two seem to be falling fast (on Jack's part, anyway; Helen's more reluctant about it), and that reason will be explained in a few chapters time. Because, you know, Jamie's been kidnapped an all...

I'm a little worried about how people will take the development in this chapter, considering the lesser reaction to the last one...but since some have predicted it already, and have still stuck around, I'm hopeful. :)

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and keep the reviews coming!

* * *

"NO!" Helen cried. She turned in a frantic circle, looking for any signs of her brother – but she could find nothing. Not a trace that he had even been there at all, apart from the mug of milk on the side from where he had been about to make Sophie's hot chocolate.

Her breaths came quickly, and seeing that she was panicking, Jack got up from where he had been thrown and hurried over to her, laying a hand on her shoulder. The shock of the cold seemed to do the trick, and Helen turned to him. "Calm down," he told her. "Everything's going to be fine. We just need to get back to the Pole."

"But we don't even know where Pitch is!" Helen didn't know what to do; she wanted to find her brother, but she didn't know where to look.

Jack placed his other hand on Helen's other shoulder and turned her to face him completely. "Helen, listen to me. If we go to North, he and the others can help us find Jamie. OK?"

Helen looked into Jack's eyes, and the pools of blue – those captivating pools of blue – were able to calm her down; her breaths became slower, and she closed her eyes before nodding. She knew Jack was right; it would do her – and Jamie – no good in panicking.

Picking up Sophie, Jack held her tightly against him before holding out a hand to Helen. She understood, and took it before Jack secured her onto his back and flew out the window.

"Wind, take us to the North Pole!"

* * *

North was walking into the room with the large fireplace, and the yeti walking next to him was holding a large check list in his hands. Behind them Bunny, Tooth, Sandy and Katherine were following; Bunny was inspecting one of his boomerangs, Tooth was commanding her fairies to various locations around the world, Sandy was sending out streams of dreamsand and Katherine was using a large white quill to jot down a story.

The yeti checked off the many things on the list as North read them out. "Toys loading into sleigh; done." The yeti checked it off. "Naughty and Nice list, checked twice; done." The yeti checked it off. "Reindeer preparation; done." The yeti checked it off. "Elves out of harms way." The yeti pointed over to where the other yetis were rounding up the elves, herding them into a large playroom with a sign on the door saying, 'Elves Christmas Room'. "Done."

"Well, it looks like things are going according to plan," Bunny commented. "Absolutely nothing to worry about."

There was a sudden gust of wind, and yetis were sent scattering as Jack flew in with Helen and Sophie. He landed in front of the Guardians, his expression telling them that there _was_ something to worry about.

"Pitch attacked us!" he told them. "He took Jamie!"

The yeti dropped his clipboard, Bunny dropped his boomerang, Katherine dropped her paper and quill, Sandy halted his stream of dreamsand and Tooth cut herself off mid-sentence. All eyes were wide as they stared at Jack.

"Pitch took him?" North repeated.

"We tried to stop him," said Helen, letting go of Jack. "But I think it was another trap; he was waiting for us to come home."

Sophie ran over to Bunny, who immediately scooped the little girl up into his arms and held her close to him, comforting her as she buried her face into his fur. "Things just got serious," said the Pooka. "Taking a tooth and Mr. Qwerty is one thing; a child is another thing entirely."

"Why would he have taken Jamie?" asked Katherine. "You know, since he's obsessed with Helen at the moment." Catching a look from Jack, she quickly added, "For some...crazy, unspecified reason."

Helen made a noise of realization, slapping her hand against her face. "Oh, of course! A relative can partly glimpse into the tooth's memory. Pitch took Jamie because he's my brother!"

"But you're not biologically related," Jack realized.

"Exactly!" Helen began to pace frantically. "And when Pitch realizes this, he'll hurt Jamie. We have to find him! I don't care how long it takes, and I don't care if we have to look in every corner of the globe; we have to!"

"We know," said North. "And we will. We will split up individually. But Helen, I must ask for you to stay with your sister."

Helen looked over at Sophie; the little was still looked traumatized by the encounter with Pitch, and Helen could see her sobbing into Bunny's fur. Guilt rose in Helen's stomach; if she had acted faster, she could have prevented Jamie's kidnapping. _But that's in the past. Now we have to find him_. She nodded. "I will."

North gave her shoulder a comforting pat. "We will find him." He passed her, gathering up his coat and hat, and the other Guardians followed suit. Bunny walked over to Helen and placed Sophie into her arms; he gave them both an encouraging look before he followed the others. Jack was last to leave; he hesitated, wanting to say something to Helen, but realized that no words _needed_ to be said and left.

"Hely?" Helen turned to her sister, who had stopped sobbing as was gazing at her with pleading eyes. "I'm hungry."

"Oh, sis..." Helen gave her sister an apologetic look. "I'm not sure where the food is kept."

Hearing this, one of the yetis walked over to her and started speaking gibberish. He pointed down the hall, and Helen realized he was directing her to what she guessed could be the kitchen.

"Um...OK?" she said. "Here, can you hold her for a second?" She handed Sophie over to the yeti.

The creature looked hesitant, but took her gently anyway. Sophie giggled when the yeti's fur ticked her face. The yeti just looked awkward, and looked back at Helen with a pleading look, speaking more gibberish.

Helen held up her hands in defence. "Sorry, I have no idea what you're saying. Besides, I know what my sister likes. Just stay here." She turned and headed in the direction which the yeti pointed towards.

When she finally found the kitchen it was empty, which was odd. She figured there had to be at least some yetis or elves – maybe not the elves – making cookies or some kind of Christmas treat. _Then again, the entire workshop is probably preparing for Christmas, not to mention being put on high alert with the new development_, she realized. She walked over to the fridge and opened it.

A shadow moved in the corner of her vision, and she spun around. Nothing. But then it happened again, and she closed the fridge door and leapt away, turning around in circles fearfully.

This was what the shadow had been waiting for; for her fear to block out her light, and suddenly, Helen was engulfed in darkness.

* * *

The Guardians walked back to the globe. "I just need to organize the globe into equal sections for us all," North explained. "When given a section you need to move fast, and double-check under every bed and in every dark corner there is. Then check again."

Jack looked back over at the fireplace and noticed the yeti, Phil, holding Sophie in his arms; the little girl was pulling at his fur, which the yeti wasn't pleased about, but he was doing a good job of holding his temper.

But more importantly, Helen was nowhere to be found. "Hey, where's Helen?"

The yeti turned to them and spoke in gibberish, before holding the giggling Sophie away from him for someone to take. Bunny hopped over and took her into his arms. "What he say, North?"

"That she went to get Sophie something to eat," said North. "But she's been gone a very long time."

Jack bit his lip. _Hopefully nothing's happened to her..._ "I'll get her."

He flew towards the kitchen, passing by the hurrying yetis and elves, and when he reached it he opened the door. "Hey, Helen. You better not be hauling in all those cookies for yourself. You're as bad as the elves."

But when he walked in, the kitchen was empty.

* * *

Helen opened her eyes – only then realizing she'd closed them – and took in her surroundings. She was standing in the familiar woods where she and Jack had been only the night before, and not very far away, she saw the hole which led to old Pitch's lair. The broken bits of bed were still scattered around it, laying untouched.

_Why am I back here? _

That's when she heard a small voice calling out for help...and listening closely, she realized who it was. "Jamie!" Immediately she hurried towards the hole and didn't hesitate to leap into it.

She fell down and landed at the bottom with a thud. Everywhere was dark, just like the last time she was down there, and the cages were still hanging around her. Nothing had changed since the last time she was there...apart from her brother huddled up in a corner.

"Helen?"

"Jamie!"

She went to run towards him but a shadow appeared before her, rising up from the ground until it became Pitch. He smirked.

Helen's eyes narrowed. "I'm in a foul mood, Pitch. You better let my brother go, or things _will_ be getting ugly in here."

Pitch raised his hands up in defence. "Yes, of course. I will release him." He then held up a book, which Helen recognized as Mr. Qwerty; Pitch tossed him over his shoulder, and the book-shaped insect landed in Jamie's lap. "I'll even throw in the book worm."

The girl's expression changed. _Wasn't expecting that_. "Huh?"

"Of course," Pitch continued, "there's a catch."

* * *

Jack flew through the workshop, leaving a trail off ice behind him and some very angry yetis, but he didn't care. All he could think about was Helen. _Where could she have gone? She can't just disappear like that!_ There was the chance that she'd wandered off somewhere in the workshop; she didn't know it as well as he did...but his gut instinct told him otherwise.

He reached the others in record time. "Helen's gone."

If the Guardians weren't worried before, they were now. "What do you mean by gone, mate?" asked Bunny.

"I mean 'gone' as in '_gone_'!" Jack yelled back. "She's not in the kitchen; she's not anywhere! I think Pitch must have got her, too!"

Tooth laid a gentle hand upon Jack's shoulder. "You don't know that."

"I can feel it! Where else would she be?"

The Guardians exchanged worried glances.

* * *

Helen eyed Pitch suspiciously. "What kind of catch?"

Pitch revealed her tooth in his hand. "You will unlock the memory inside this tooth. Then your brother and the book worm will go free."

"That's it?" Helen knew that if Pitch saw her memory, he could use it against her. It could potentially be dangerous. But she also knew there was too much at risk; if it meant that Pitch would let her brother go, she was willing to make that sacrifice. Although it seemed a bit...simple.

"That's not all, though." Pitch smirked, examining the tooth between his fingers. "I have been trying to access this memory for sometime."

"Yeah, it hurt. Thanks for that, by the way."

"I have only seen a glimpse, but despite this I have been able to determine what this memory could be." Pitch held out the tooth towards her. "If you unlock this memory, it will show you something that will change your view on everything. Your life, your past – and most importantly, you will never view your family in the same way again."

Helen froze.

* * *

"Why is Pitch even interested in her?" Jack asked.

The Guardians looked away hesitantly. Remembering their reactions to Helen, and how they seemed to keep referring to her whenever they mentioned their 'secrets', Jack became certain that they knew something he didn't.

They were hiding something – and he wanted to know what.

"Seriously, guys... What's. Going. On?"

* * *

Helen bit her lip. She had always loved her family; it was why she became so determined to get them all together again, and why she always became so upset when her plans didn't work. And yet, even when they caused her pain and sadness, she still loved them.

_And most importantly, you will never view your family in the same way again_.

What did Pitch mean by that? Did he mean that she would stop loving them? Helen couldn't be sure, but she couldn't bear the thought of not loving her family. There was the chance that Pitch could be lying in order to scare her. But something about Pitch's expression told her that this was the truth; the memory that would be shown to her would be big enough to do such a thing. After all, it had stayed in her mouth for longer than it should have done; if that wasn't a sign, Helen didn't know what else was.

Then she wondered... _Could it show my real family? The parents I had before?_ That would be enough to change how she viewed her family.

Looking at Jamie, she realized that no matter what the memory did to her, she couldn't let anything happen to him. _I can't lose him to Pitch_.

"Do you give your word that my brother will go free once I unlock that memory for you?"

He smirked. "Of course. I may be a King of Nightmares, but I like to think of myself as a man of my word."

"Really? Because Jack told me you promised to let a fairy go if he handed over his staff. And you didn't."

Pitch didn't waver. "If it makes you happy, I'll let him go now. And trust that you can keep _your_ word." A Nightmare appeared next to Jamie and gave him a shove. The boy scrambled to his feet with Mr. Qwerty in his hands, and after giving Helen a hesitant look, he ran towards the exit.

Helen looked back at Pitch. She knew that she could use her power to escape; it would be easy. But then, she realized, it would make her no better than him. She had to keep her word; it was the right thing to do.

Pitch smirked, realizing he'd won, before holding out the tooth towards her. Biting her lip and fighting back the tears that were forming in her eyes, Helen reached out her hand and took the tooth, allowing it to fall into her palm before closing her fingers over it. The tooth began to glow, shining out through the gaps between her fingers. She instinctively closed her eyes.

And the memory washed over her like a tidal wave.

* * *

The Guardians continued to look hesitant. "What do you mean, Jack?" Tooth asked back. "There's nothing going on."

"Yes, there is," said Jack. He moved in on Tooth, knowing that she would crack easier than the others. "You've all been hiding something from me – _and_ the kids. You said there were secrets which I couldn't know, and I think one of them is somehow to do with Helen."

Bunny looked at Tooth and saw how stressed she was getting; being spread out all over the place in the form of her Mini Fairies also didn't help, and the Pooka knew it. He knew keeping the secret was hurting her...and he knew that no matter what, she wouldn't say a word.

"You all obviously know why Pitch is interested in her!" Jack continued. "Why? Why is Pitch trying to get to her?!"

Bunny stepped in front of the fairy.

"Because she's Pitch's daughter!"


	10. Chapter Nine: Truth

Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter! :D

There'll be quite a bit of info relating to the books in this one, so those of you who haven't read them might get a little confused (but I'll try and explain things as much as I can, and if you need to ask something, just leave a review and ask there). Also there'll be my own theories as to what future books will reveal.

And I course I wasn't watching _The Empire Strikes Back_ when I wrote this. What made you think that? xD

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review!

* * *

_The Moon Clipper shook violently again. _

_Charisse Pitchiner held her newborn baby daughter close to her chest, trying to stop her from crying. "Hush, Helenka. Everything's going to be all right." _

_Her eldest daughter – twelve year old Eartha Pitchiner – clutched her mother's arm tightly, staying close to her with fear in her eyes. "Why is Daddy doing this to us? Daddy would never hurt anyone!" _

"_He's not your father. Not anymore." Charisse bit her lip, trying to stop the tears from falling at the thought of what her husband had become. _

_The door of their cabin burst open, and Charisse's childhood friend E. Aster Bunnymund hopped in; he was wearing his dark travelling cloak and held the Time Staff which had been given to him by Tzar and Tzarina Lunanoff. "Pitch has gotten past the main guard. He's coming." _

_The blonde-haired woman clutched her baby close to her chest as she pushed her eldest daughter behind her. "I told you he wanted them," she said. "He wants to turn them into his Nightmare Princesses. I can't let that happen, Ace, I can't!" _

_Bunny knew how desperate she was by the very fact that she'd called him 'Ace'; the nickname she had given him when they had been children. In their adulthood, she rarely used it – unless she needed his help. "I know you can't. Which is why...I'm going to use this." He gestured to the staff. _

"_But I thought no one was supposed to mess with Time?" the woman questioned. _

"_I know, but desperate times call for desperate measures," said Bunny. "And we can't have Pitch getting near your kids. So I'm going to send you all to this new planet at some point in the future – out of reach of Pitch, in a time when he's no longer a threat." _

_Bunny took the staff in his paws...but before he could call upon its powers _

_the room began to grow darker, and Charisse held her youngest daughter closer to her chest. The shadows were closing in, and realizing what was happening, Bunny turned to lead Charisse and her daughters out the door. But a shadow blocked the exit, and as it grew taller and taller, they all realized who it was. _

"_Pitch." _

_He appeared from the shadows and smirked. _

"_Didn't expect to see you here, Pooka." He used a shadow to throw Bunny aside, before Pitch turned to his former wife. "Charisse. You're looking as beautiful as ever. Now, if you hand over my daughters, I will spare you. But if you don't, there will be...consequences." _

_The woman clutched her youngest tighter and pushed her eldest further behind her; Helenka began to whimper again and Eartha tried not to sob. "Over my dead body." _

"_Suit yourself." With a wave of his hand, Pitch sent hundreds of shadows flying towards her. _

_Charisse turned and buried her face into the blanket that was wrapped around Helenka, shielding both her daughters from the shadows even if it meant her demise. And that was what happened; the shadows consumed her, and she cried out from the pain as she vanished from existence. Helenka's eyes widened before she began to cry louder than before, waving her arms and legs wildly. Eartha was able to catch her sister before she fell to the floor, then shielded her in an effort to protect her from the shadows. _

_Pitch closed in on them. "Now, my little girls...come to Daddy." He held his hand out towards them, ready to change them into the Nightmare Princesses he desired. _

_But just when he was about to touch Helenka, it happened. _

_A blinding light began to emanate from the baby, and Pitch suddenly felt a burning sensation in his hand. He snatched it back, and looking down at it he realized it had turned back to the state it had been before – human. He cried out and stuck his hand into the shadows, willing it to change back to grey. _

_He looked back at the girls, just in time to see the light growing brighter around Helenka. And that wasn't all; an unusual green light was beginning to emanate from Eartha, and the girl looked at her hands with wide eyes as she began to rise from the cabin floor and float towards the window. _

_Bunny saw what was happening as well, and taking the Time Staff in hand, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the future of the nearby blue and green planet. He searched for the perfect time for Helenka to grow up; one full of light, where she could grow up safely and in peace. Then, using all his might, he leapt up and grabbed Helenka in his paws, before willing the staff to take him to the time he desired. _

_Pitch looked in between both daughters; the one in the arms of the Pooka and the one almost out the window. Making a decision, he launched himself towards Bunny and Helenka...and landed on the empty floor too late. _

_Bunny never forgot the last thing he saw that day, and it gave him hope. For the expression on Pitch's face wasn't that of a villain who'd had his plans foiled – it was that of a father who had lost his child._

* * *

Jack stared at Bunny, his jaw hanging open while he repeated those words in his head. Helen...was Pitch's _daughter?_ "That can't be right. It just...can't. How can Pitch – of _all people_ – have a daughter? And how can it be Helen?"

"Pitch was a man once before he changed," said Bunny. He shifted Sophie in his arms. "Even _he_ was someone, like we all were. And he had not one, but _two_ daughters. Back in the time of the Golden Age, he had a twelve year old daughter named Eartha, and Helen – or Helenka Pitchiner – was born on the day the Man in the Moon arrived here; when Pitch attached him and his parents."

Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing. Helen – sweet, caring Helen – was the daughter of _Pitch?_ He hadn't expected this at all. "How did she live this long? I mean, the Golden Age was thousands of years ago."

"It's a long story," said Bunny. "You see, after Pitch turned bad he tried to get both his daughters and turn them into Nightmare Princesses. But his wife, Charisse, would have none of that. She came to me, and we both joined the rulers at the time – Tzar and Tzarina Lunanoff – in their escape to Earth with their son; the boy who would become the Man in the Moon. They gave me the Time Staff, and I decided to use it to send Charisse and her daughters away."

"Send them away?" Jack questioned.

"To this planet," said Bunny. "To this _time_. Pitch attacked and killed Charisse, but for some reason he couldn't touch the kids. Helen must have had that power of hers even back _then_. I was able to get her out of there and used that staff relic to send her here, where she would be safe. I went with her to make sure of it."

Jack realized what this meant. "So you were the one who left her on the doorstep of the Bennett home." Then after a thought, he asked, "What happened to Eartha?"

"That's a story for another time," said North. "But we need to find Helen quickly, before Pitch realizes who she is."

"He probably has already, or at least suspects it." Katherine bit her lip with worry. "It would explain his obsession with her."

"But how do we find her?" asked Tooth.

Jack closed his eyes, leaning against his staff. He felt sorry for his friend; having all this weight dropped upon her so suddenly...especially considering what that weight consisted of. _I have to find her_. Jack thought back to the kiss on the cheek he had given her. He played back the scene over and over in his head; her surprised expression, the magic blue mark...

He suddenly got a vision of her in his head. She looked terrified with tears beginning to form in her eyes. She was knelt down before Pitch, who was smirking down at her triumphantly. The scene made Jack grip his staff tightly in anger. But the vision zoomed out, showing that they were in Pitch's old lair.

He leapt forwards and grabbed North's globe. "Hey!"

"Jack?" Bunny questioned. "What's up, mate?"

Jack turned to them all, determination in his eyes.

"I have no idea how I know this...but I know where she is."

* * *

Lowell and Bernadette made their way through the woods that surrounded _Burgess_. The pair had split off from the police search party with Abby – who was sniffing along in front of them – in order to look for their children, and while the former could understand why they were looking in the surrounding woods...he still didn't know why he had a hockey stick and why she had a baseball bat.

"So...what are these for?" he asked. He'd wanted to ask the question when they left the house, but Bernadette had left in such a hurry that he didn't get the chance.

Bernadette just looked straight ahead, not even turning to face Lowell. "In case the kids were taken and we have to beat someone up."

Her ex-husband just looked at her, then down at the hockey stick. He shrugged. "Makes sense."

Both paused when Abby started barking at something in front of them. They heard someone running through the trees, calling for help...and both felt a flood of relief and happiness when they saw it was Jamie.

The boy skidded to a halt at the sight of them. "Mum? Dad?"

"Jamie!" The two embraced their son, hugging him tightly. Abby leapt at the boy and began to lick his face.

"We were so worried about you!"

"Are you hurt?"

Jamie pulled away, and the parents saw that his eyes were wide with terror and he was panting for breath – and he was holding a strange book in his hands. And on top of that, there were no signs of Helen or Sophie. "Jamie, where are your sisters?" his mother asked.

"Sophie's...safe," said Jamie, still panting for breath. "Helen... He's got her."

Lowell's face darkened. "Who's got her?"

"Pitch."

Bernadette gave her son a confused look. "Who's Pitch?"

* * *

Helen collapsed to the floor, tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe what she had seen. "It's not true...it's not true..." She repeated the words over and over, somehow hoping they would bend the forces of the universe and change her fate. Suddenly, more than anything, she wanted Jack to come and take her away from the truth so she didn't have to face it.

Pitch smirked. "It _is_. You saw it yourself. I _am_ your father."

The girl screwed her eyes closed. "You are _not_ my father."

"In denial, are we?" Pitch shook his head. "Accept the truth. Accept who you really are; the Princess of Nightmares. _I_ am where you truly belong. This whole time, you have been fighting on the wrong side."

He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder...but suddenly Helen grabbed it, burning it with all the light she could summon. Pitch yelled from the pain and pulled back, swiftly turning around to dunk his hand into the shadows and ease the pain.

"The side I chose is the _right_ side," Helen told him.

For a moment, Pitch almost looked heartbroken...but then his expression became one of anger, and he let out an unnatural growl. "I will turn you into what you are destined to become, even if I have to _force it!_"

But before he could do anything, another voice made itself heard. A voice Helen was never so happy to hear.

"Get away from her..._PITCH!_"

Pitch turned around...only for his face to meet with a baseball bat, sending him flying across the room. Bernadette held the bat tightly in her grip, and behind her, Jamie stood with a triumphant look upon his face.

"Mum!" Helen cried happily.

Abby, barking angrily, leapt towards the Boogeyman and stood between him and Helen, growing and snarling at him. Then Lowell appeared, and he strode over to Pitch at a speed Helen never thought her father was capable of before using the hockey stick in his hand to beat him several times. Helen stood up, watching her adoptive father with wide eyes.

Finally Pitch had enough and sent a blast of black sand at Lowell, knocking him backwards. "Lowell!" Bernadette cried before she hurried over to him, helping him up.

Pitch rose to his feet and summoned several hundred Nightmares. "Face the wrath of the Boogeyman!"

But before he could send them charging a hole opened up in the floor before him, and out hopped...Bunny! "G'day, mate." He punched Pitch clean across the face.

The parents stared at the rabbit in shock. "I'm either seeing things from the blast, or that's..." Lowell began.

"The Easter Bunny," Jamie finished for him.

Then a portal opened up in front of the family and out came North, charging with his swords in hand; Jack was close behind him, followed by Tooth and her fairies and the Sandman with his whips. Then Katherine charged through, riding Kailash. Pitch's eyes narrowed at the arrival of the Guardians before he sent his Nightmares into the attack.

The parents continued to watch the scene unfold, their eyes wide. "All those childhood legends..." Bernadette spoke, turning to her two children. "They're all...real?"

"You can see them?" Helen asked.

"Well, I _did_ tell them you were being held by a guy named Pitch," said Jamie. "That made them believe in him. Makes sense that it would set off seeing the rest of them."

Jack then noticed the group standing off to the side and flew over, before pulling Helen in for a hug. "I'm glad you're OK, Helen." The girl wasn't sure how to react to his sudden show of emotion.

"Ahem. I'm OK too, Jack, just so you know."

Jack chuckled before looking at Jamie, whose arms were folded across his front in annoyance. "I know you are, kiddo." He ruffled up Jamie's hair, and the boy battered his hand away.

"Jack?" Bernadette looked the boy up and down, and she was able to figure it out. "As in, Jack Frost?"

"The one and only." Jack gave a mock bow.

"OK, let's save the introductions for later," said Helen. "Right now, we need to get out of here."

"Right. Follow me." Jack playfully grabbed Helen by the waist, and she laughed out loud as he picked her up and carried her through the portal. Jamie and his parents hurried after them.

Pitch saw this and tried to fight back. "NO! I won't let you take my daughter from me again!"

Hearing this Bernadette froze. After turning around again, she pushed her way through the Guardians – who all stopped fighting to watch with wide eyes – and walked straight up to Pitch, before using the bat in her hands to whack him around the face. The Boogeyman fell back, and Bernadette grabbed him by his collar before leaning in close.

"Listen, spook. If you _ever_ go near my kids again – _especially_ Helen – _I'll_ be the one giving _you_ Nightmares." The mother swung the bat again, harder this time, and Pitch was momentarily dazed. She then turned back around and strode through the portal as if it was nobodies business.

The Guardians stared after her before exchanging glances. "Time to go," said Bunny, before opening up a tunnel by his feet and jumping into it. North, Katherine, Tooth and Sandy hurried back through the portal before it closed behind them.

When Pitch finally got over the hit from Bernadette, he found that he was alone...and he let out an unearthly cry of anguish.


	11. Chapter Ten: Aftermath

Hi all, and Merry Christmas!

This will probably be my last post until after Christmas; the entire family is up, and I want to spend time with them. I'm sure you'll all be doing the same!

I hope you all like it and don't forget to review!

* * *

The Guardians and the Bennetts arrived in the warmth of North's workshop in front of the fire, and weapons were put away as everyone panted for breath. Sophie, who had been waiting for them to return, hurried up to Bunny when he appeared through a hole in the floor...but after hugging his leg, she caught sight of her parents and ran over to them.

"Mummy! Daddy!"

Lowell and Bernadette's expressions lightened up at the sight of their youngest daughter, and they both brought her in for a tight hug. This extended around Jamie and Helen, and the Guardians watched the reunited family with smiles on their faces.

"We won't ask what happened," said Lowell. He and Bernadette gazed around at their surroundings in awe. "From the looks of things, it was a _lot_."

Sophie giggled and hopped back over to Bunny, before taking his paw in her hand and pulling him with her over to her parents. "Mummy, Daddy, this Bunny! He goes hop, hop, hop!" She hopped up and down to show them what she meant.

Bunny just smiled and shrugged at the parents.

Bernadette's eyes suddenly lit up with realization before she turned towards her son. "So back in April, when you said you were talking to Jack Frost...you were actually talking to him?"

"Yep!" Jamie nodded. "And you said you didn't believe me!" At this, Jack raised an eyebrow at the woman.

"I didn't say I didn't believe you," said the mother. "I just...laughed. Which probably speaks for itself." She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

Lowell wrapped an arm around her, bringing her in closer to him. "Don't worry about it. I would have done the same thing. Actually, I probably would have made a joke out of it." Bernadette turned and smiled at him.

Meanwhile their children just stared at the couple with wide eyes – as did the Guardians, who had been told of their status by the kids. "OK, whoa! Rewind!" Helen spoke up. "Since when did..." She gestured to them, "..._this_ happen? I haven't seen you guys this chummy since, well...you know."

"Well, you kids going missing made us realize just how ridiculous our fights are," Bernadette explained. "We can't even remember what she started fighting about in the first place."

"So last night we agreed to stop fighting and made up." The two turned to each other...and to the surprise of everyone, they kissed.

The watching eyes widened more, if that was possible. "Looks like you guys did a lot more than that," Helen commented.

Lowell smirked. "Well, your mother felt guilty about putting me on the couch so let me sleep in the bed with her-"

"OK, OK, _way_ too much information!" Helen raised her hands frantically to stop him from continuing. "There's kids in the room!" She turned away, hand on her forehead.

It reminded Bernadette of what had happened during the fight – what Pitch had said as they'd made their escape. "Helen...about what that man said..."

Helen bit her lip; she had a feeling her mother would ask about that. But being honest, she herself still couldn't believe it. She _refused_ to believe it. Turning to the other Guardians, she asked, "Is it true? The memory I saw..."

Bunny stepped forwards; apart from the cloak, he looked exactly the same as he did in Helen's memory, only slightly older – _wiser_. Those same green eyes which had looked down on her tenderly long ago were filled with angst, and they spoke truth when he simply nodded his head. "Yes. It happened." He held out his paw and opened it up...revealing the other half of the ripped piece of paper Helen had been found with. Written in the same handwriting was '_ka Pitchiner_'.

Hearing it from Bunny, who had been there – and seeing the ripped paper – made Helen realize that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't change the truth. She sank down, and Jack hurriedly brought a chair for her to collapse into before Sandy handed her a mug of hot chocolate. Helen closed her eyes and sighed, unsure what to do and what to think.

Mr. Qwerty – who Jamie still held in his arms – suddenly used his pages to flutter across the room, before landing in Helen's lap with the first page open. The image of the moon had been drawn onto it with words written in the centre: _Origins of the Guardians of Childhood_.

Katherine made her way over. "Looks like Mr. Qwerty wants you to see this," she said. Jack, Jamie, Sophie, Lowell and Bernadette gathered to look as well. The book turned on its own, revealing several pictures of stars and galaxies filled with airships travelling through Space.

That's when Mr. Qwerty began to speak. "Years ago, there was a time called the Golden Age, when the inhabitants of the galaxy lived in peace. It was ruled over by Tzar and Tzarina Lunanoff."

The page turned to show a number of Nightmares being captured. But the shock came in the form of who was catching them. "Is that Pitch?" Helen asked.

Mr. Qwerty continued, "In the Golden Age, Pitch was a hero known as Kozmotis Pitchiner. He helped capture all the bad things in the galaxy and locked them up. Then, when all were locked away on a specially crafted prison planet, he volunteered to stand guard over them." Katherine looked down sadly as the page turned; Pitch was guarding the Nightmares on the next one. "But the Nightmares waited for a moment of weakness; a moment when Pitch was most vulnerable. And when it came, there were able to trick him into opening the door and letting them out. When he did the Nightmares consumed him until they changed him into what he is now."

"That sounds bad," said Jamie.

Jack chuckled at the boy. "Thank you, Captain Obvious."

The page turned again to show the familiar form of Pitch as the Nightmare King. "He put an end to the Golden Age and turned the galaxy into an empty wasteland. Tzar and Tzarina Lunanoff were able to escape on a ship known as the _Moon Clipper_." The page turned again, showing the magnificent ship in all its glory. "They were heading for this planet; Earth. On board with them was their son – the Man in the Moon – along with his protector, Nightlight."

Again the page turned, showing the parents of the Man in the Moon and the former Guardian of Light known as Nightlight. But on the opposite page, a familiar family of three sat huddled in one of the cabins; a blonde woman held a baby close to her while a young girl with dark curls clutched the woman in fear. By the door, a Pooka wearing a cloak was stood on guard.

Helen recognized the scene immediately. "That baby's...me. And I have a sister?"

Bunny nodded and Mr. Qwerty continued. "The former wife of Pitch – Charisse Pitchiner – was also on board, travelling with their daughter, Eartha Pitchiner. And on the day they reached Earth, a second daughter was born; Helenka Pitchiner. But on the same day, Pitch found them and attacked; not only did he want to turn his daughters into Nightmare Princesses, but as a bonus, he wanted to turn the Man in the Moon – who had never had a Nightmare in his life – into a Nightmare _Prince_."

"What is it with this guy and Nightmare Princes and Princesses?" asked Helen. "And Helenka? What kind of name is that?" Jack laughed.

"While the wife was killed, the daughters were able to escape." The next page showed the eldest daughter flying out the window of the _Moon Clipper_, and Bunny escaping through time with the young Helenka. The page turned again, showing the following battle; Tzar and Tzarina Lunanoff were being held captive by shadows with Pitch before them. But a boy was flying towards Pitch, glowing brightly, and holding a dagger in his hand which was aimed at Pitch's heart. "During the battle that followed, Nightlight flew at Pitch and pierced his heart, causing the Nightmare King to fall down to Earth. Tzar and Tzarina Lunanoff were killed, leaving their son to be raised by the servants around him."

The page turned once more and showed the ship transforming into the moon. Jamie was the most amazed by this. "The moon is a _ship?_ That's awesome!"

The Guardians smiled at the boy before Mr. Qwerty continued. "Manny hoped a new Golden Age would begin on Earth. He became determined to make sure everyone here – especially the children – were safe."

"So that's how Nightlight died?" asked Helen.

Katherine closed the book. "No, that sacrifice didn't kill him." She shook her head. "After that, Nightlight was locked inside Pitch's heart until he could escape. His escape caused the Nightmare King to awaken. But that's a story for another time."

Helen handed the book back to Katherine before resting her head in her hands. Despite what she had seen inside the book, it didn't take away what she had discovered, and her feelings towards it. "I don't think I'll ever be the same again."

Jack laid a hand upon her shoulder. "Maybe not, but you're still _you_; the same caring and protective big sister to Jamie and Sophie who I've known for...over a day? Never mind. Just because you're... well..._his_ daughter, doesn't mean you'll change."

"But what if everything he said is true?" Helen asked. "About me being a Nightmare Princess?"

Jamie almost laughed at the possibility. "Helen, you're one of the nicest people I know. You could _never_ be a Nightmare Princess."

"Well it certainly runs in the blood." Helen gestured to the book in Katherine's hands. "Pitch used to be a hero before he was turned; the same thing could happen to me, any time, any day."

Bernadette wrapped an arm around her daughter. "But you're not weak, Helen. You're strong. You always face anything that gets thrown your way with no fear. You're the _last_ person who can fall into the darkness."

"You're not who you're told to be," said North. "You are who _you_ tell yourself to be. And no one – not even Pitch – can tell you otherwise."

Helen felt a little better. "You're right. I'm not going to let him ruin my life. In fact," She got to her feet, "if he ever shows his face around me again, I'll burn his smirk right off that face and hand it back to him on a golden platter!" Everyone laughed.

Tooth arrived, and Helen only then realized that the fairy had disappeared – with her tooth, no less. "I've done it!" She held a golden coin above her head before handing it to Helen. "Here you go, sweet tooth. You tooth is now safe with the rest of them."

"Thanks, Tooth." Helen flipped the coin with her thumb before putting it in her pocket.

Jack came to stand next to Helen, resting an elbow on her shoulder. "So, now that we have some time on our hands, fancy a snowball fight, HB? Your brother told me you throw a mean snowball."

"That's not really fair, Frostbite." Helen shrugged the elbow off. "You can make snowballs in your _hands_; it's an unfair advantage."

Jack only chuckled.

* * *

Pitch stared at his globe in the darkness of his new lair; tiny lights were dotted all over, but the Nightmare King was focussed upon the small cluster in the location of North's workshop.

More specifically, he was focussed on the one dot which was shinning brighter than the others.

He reached out a hand and caressed the dot almost tenderly. "I will get you back, my daughter. I promise."


	12. Chapter Eleven: Christmas

So turns out I was able to find time to post today. Everyone is pretty much lacking energy from eating the huge Christmas dinner, and it helps that this chapter was already pre-written.

And last night, after I posted the previous chapter, I discovered something which really made my day. You know _TV Tropes_ have Fanfic recommendations for different categories? I curiously looked at the ones for _Rise of the Guardians_...and this story was there.

Seriously. Do you know how hard it to get a recommendation on that site? I can tell you now, that as far as I could tell before, your story had to be flipping good to get a recommendation.

I was overwhelmed.

So thank you. Thank you to whoever recommended it, thank you to everyone who has reviewed the story, and heck, thank you to anyone who's been _reading it at all_. You guys have no idea how much I appreciate it.

Getting back to the chapter...those of you who questioned Jack and Helen's relationship moving quickly will find out why in this chapter. I just hope it makes sense.

Enjoy, and don't forget to review!

* * *

_Christmas Eve_

The silence of the night in a Japanese town was disturbed by Santa's sleigh soaring through the sky, while below North and Bunny were hopping from one roof to the next. Jack, Tooth, Sandy and Katherine were soaring through the air next to the sleigh; all were travelling back and forwards, collecting toys from the sleigh and delivering them to different homes.

In the sleigh Lowell was holding the reins, guiding the reindeer through the night sky while Helen was reading from a very long list. "Tang Miwa, two streets away, teddy bear. Shen Yoshi, three doors down, toy robot."

As she read out the list Jamie, who was sat in the back of the sleigh, pulled out the desired toy and tossed it to the Guardian who was next in line. The sack barely looked full, but North had explained that inside was a similar, stable portal like the one his globe created, leading back to the workshop; Jamie just had to think of the toy he needed, and it would appear in his hand.

The Guardians had all decided to help North with the deliveries this year, in case Pitch tried anything. He was still nowhere to be found.

They hadn't been delivering gifts for very long before it turned into a game. "Ten gifts ahead of you, Frost!" Bunny called out.

"Not for long, Cottontail!" Jack called back.

"You'll never be able to catch up to me!" North popped out of a nearby chimney before catching a present, leaping onto another roof and disappearing down another chimney.

Katherine flew past him on Kailash as he popped up again. "Yeah, but you're the master at this, partner!"

Tooth was surrounded by her Mini Fairies, and as she delivered gifts, she commanded them through their Tooth collecting duties. "A incisor in Tokyo! Two molars in Singapore! Oh, and I think there's one bicuspid down there! No worries, I'll get it!" She flew into the window and did her thing.

"At this rate," North said, "we'll be done in no time!"

* * *

_Sydney, Australia_

Bunny hopped out through his tunnel and placed the presents under the tree, before leaving a few Easter eggs with them for good measure. He looked around the home, and upon noticing the boomerangs hanging on the wall, he stopped to admire them.

"I could really do with some of those, mate."

He then heard a growl, and turning, he noticed a dingo snarling at him. "Crikey!" He tapped his foot on the ground and disappeared into his tunnel, just as the dingo leapt. The poor animal ended up colliding with the floor.

* * *

_Beijing, China_

After covering the ground outside in frost, Jack leapt through an open window and placed the toy he was carrying under a small tree. He noticed it wasn't the traditional Christmas tree; it was a native tree.

"Hmm. Needs more of a winter feel." He tapped the tree with his staff and it was instantly covered in frost. "There you go."

* * *

_Moscow, Russia_

North leapt between the many onion-shaped domes of the cathedral before leaping down a nearby chimney. After leaving the presents he noticed a mince pie which had been left out along with a glass of something which smelt good.

"Ooh, don't mind if I do." He ate the mince pie in a flash and then downed the drink. But then he felt dizzy. "That's not root beer..."

He collapsed, and peering in the window, Katherine sighed. "Not again."

* * *

_Bombay, India_

Sandy appeared in the bedroom of the child...but then looked around in confusion. There was no tree to put the present under, or stocking to put it in either.

But then he saw the shoes by the door, and mentally slapped himself.

* * *

_Cairo, Egypt_

Tooth visited many of the houses, but instead of delivering gifts, she was collecting teeth and leaving coins. "Two bicuspids, three incisors, four molars! I'm on a roll!"

But as she flew above the town she came across the sleigh...and came face to face with Helen, who just wordlessly pointed at the list.

Tooth hesitated. "Oh yeah. Forgot I was supposed to be doing that."

* * *

_A Village in Kenya_

Katherine left her gifts at the foot of the bed for the children, and turning around to see the mother asleep in the same room, she pulled out one of her books and left it as well.

A growl and a honk outside caught her attention, and she hurried out through the door to see Kailash going head to head with a rather large male lion.

She clapped her hands sharply. "Hey! We're making some deliveries here! Shoo! Get, you little vermin!" The lion crept away, tail in between its legs.

* * *

_Venice, Italy_

Outside a child's bedroom window there was a splash before Bunny appeared, hauling himself through the window with his fur soaking wet. He shook himself off like a dog.

"I knew I should have opened the tunnel in the kid's room," he said. He then held up the present; a snorkel and a pair of flippers. "Good thing these are waterproof."

* * *

_Paris, France_

Tooth left a present under the small tree in the child's room, and then for good measure, added a coin to the present as well. Then her eyes widened and she perked up, before diving towards the bed. From underneath it a mouse appeared, carrying a tooth.

"Oh, sorry," Tooth apologized. "And sorry about what happened earlier in the year. No hard feelings, right?"

The mouse just squeaked angrily before hopping off the bed and disappearing through a mouse hole.

* * *

_London, England_

Jack soared along next to Helen, who was reading out the next thing on the list. "I've got a special one for you, Frostbite. Pretty much every kid in England has asked for a White Christmas. Think you can handle that?"

"No problem." He disappeared up into the air, and summoning a large snow cloud, he dragged it behind him as he flew across England, bringing snow wherever he went. "SNOW DAY!"

* * *

_Rio de Janeiro, Brazil_

Katherine placed the present under a native tree, and stepping back towards the window to where Kailash was glancing in, she admired it.

"Well, the usual Christmas trees _are_ getting a little cliché," she admitted. Then turning to Kailash, she said, "But don't tell North I said that."

* * *

_Mexico City, Mexico_

When Sandy arrived in the window of his next delivery he found the child still awake, holding a torch in his hand as he crouched down behind the bed, his back facing the window. There were pillows stuffed underneath his bed covers.

Sandy just sent a stream of dreamsand through, and the moment it surrounded the child he fell to the floor, fast asleep.

Sandy had no problem gliding in and delivering his gift.

* * *

_New York, USA_

"My favourite city!" North exclaimed, as the sleigh passed by the statue of liberty. He hopped out and made for the closest building. "This is going to be EPIC!"

Helen called after him, "I hope so! I've got writer's cramp!" She shook her aching hand, trying to get rid of the pain.

* * *

With all the deliveries done, the Guardians headed back to the workshop to celebrate with a Christmas party of their own. As the cookies and eggnog were handed out, North looked up at the globe; all the lights were still shining brightly, like they should be.

"Job well done," he said. "We should really work together more often; more fun that way."

"Speak for yourself," said Tooth. She was still commanding her Mini Fairies across the globe. "I was doing two jobs at once! It's bad enough with just the teeth!" She perked up suddenly. "Bicuspid in New Zealand!" One of her Mini Fairies whizzed away.

By the fireplace Jamie and Sophie were sat down playing with their new toys and Abby was chewing on a brand new bone; wrapping paper was scattered around them while Jamie played with a new toy robot and Sophie with a new toy rabbit which looked suspiciously like Bunny himself. She hopped along, imitating its bounces and leapt on Bunny, knocking him over. But he just laughed.

Holding cups of eggnog in their hands, Bernadette and Lowell had an arm around each other, and the former glanced around. "Wait, where's Helen? She hasn't even opened her presents yet." She pointed to the pile of presents still under the tree, left untouched.

Everyone glanced around but couldn't see her anyway. Jack sighed. "I'll go find her." He took off through the workshop, being careful not to leave a trail of ice behind him.

It didn't take him very long to locate her; she was right at the top of the workshop, leaning on the banister as she watched the globe. He sat down next to her on the banister and gave her a nudge. "Hey, HB."

Helen blinked, as if she'd only just realized he was there. "Oh. Hey, Frostbite."

"What are you doing up here?" Jack went on to ask. "You should be opening your presents. Joining in, you know?"

The girl sighed. "I don't really feel like it."

"You don't feel like it?" Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing; from what Jamie had told him, Helen _loved_ Christmas. "Helen, you need to stop thinking about what happened, and...what you found out. We were all keeping an eye out for anything unusual, and we saw nothing; Pitch is nowhere to be seen."

"Yeah, but he's come back before," said Helen. She turned away from him again, leaning against the banister. "It's only a matter of time. At it'll be when we let our guard down like this."

"We haven't." Jack laid a hand upon her shoulder. "North's yetis are guarding the workshop even as we speak. If something happened, they'd be the first to know, and would inform us _immediately_."

Helen found herself shrugging. "I guess you're right."

There was a silence as both stared at the globe, which was turning slowly below them. Their eyes picked out every single light that was within view; each one shone brightly, representing each child who was enjoying the wonder and magic of Christmas.

Finally Jack spoke. "So...how are you?" Helen turned back to face him and raised an eyebrow. "What? We haven't really had a chance to talk much or get to know each other, what with all the "excitement" of Pitch trying to get back at us and trying to kidnap you, and all."

Helen turned fully towards him. "What would you like to know?"

"I don't know. What's your favourite colour?" He smirked.

She didn't look amused by that. "Skip the kindergarten questions, please."

"Hey, a boy _always_ has to know a girl's favourite colour."

"There's something we can talk about," said Helen. "Your...um..."attraction" to me? Is that the right word for it? Don't think I haven't noticed it."

"I think it's moved beyond attraction." He flew from his seat and stood next to her, back turned towards the globe as he leaned against the railings. "When I saw how protective you were over your siblings, something...stirred inside me. It was like a tingling. I've seen it in those overly cliché romance movies which thirteen-year-old girls and middle-aged women swoon over."

Helen had to laugh at that. But then it clicked. "But don't you think that's moving a bit...fast?" she asked. She had to admit it; despite her reluctance at first, she was starting to...like him back. But not as strong as he apparently liked her. Not to mention she was still uncertain about it due to the fact that he was an immortal spirit of winter and she was a mortal human who could – and _would_ – wither away and die eventually.

"I guess in your eyes," said Jack with a shrug. "But North told me that all us immortal beings – whether we're Guardians or not – have what he called 'heightened emotions'. Our emotions are twice as strong as normal; it's a side effect from our powers, at least that's what North thinks."

She began to understand. "So a normal attraction to me is outright falling in love to you?" she asked.

He nodded. "Love is the most powerful of the emotions, according to North. We can even use it to find one another, it's that strong. North says it was why I was able to find you – but the love had to be returned."

Helen thought about this. "Well...for a moment, when I was trapped in there, I wanted you to come for me," she admitted. "I was just so desperate to get away..."

"I guess that's close enough." He shrugged. "So maybe...there's a chance?"

She smirked and gave him a playful nudge. "Maybe, but take it slowly, OK? My teenage hormones can't cope." Jack laughed...but then his expression changed, and Helen hoped she hadn't said anything wrong. "Jack?"

"Nothing, it's just..." He sighed. "It's happened before."

"What has?"

"This." He gestured between them. "You're not the first girl I've...liked. There were three others, long ago. I still even remember their names; Muna, Ashling and Hope."

"Really?" asked Helen. Seeing the emotion in his eyes – so raw, and far more powerful than her own – she realized just how much these 'heightened emotions' affected him. "What happened?"

"All weren't long after I became Jack Frost," he began. "They all couldn't see me...but I tried to change that. I kept leaving signs, hoping each one would make them believe...and would make them see me. But eventually... The first, Muna, met and married another man. I discovered Ashling not long afterwards and tried to do the same with her...but the same thing happened. She didn't believe, and she moved on with her life. But Hope..."

He closed his eyes and looked away, and Helen knew immediately that something bad had happened – something a lot worse than what had happened with the other two. She placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder. "I'm here. You can tell me."

"I know." He sighed. "She came the closest to believing. It was a warm day, and I froze a pond for her to see; to make her realize that there was someone behind the ice and the snow. She walked out on it, trying to make sense of it, but...the day was warmer than I thought, and the ice wasn't stable. It cracked and she fell in. And since I was invisible to her I couldn't pull her out, and she..."

Helen didn't know what to say, and before she could stop herself, out came, "It wasn't your fault." She mentally slapped herself.

"But it _was_." He gripped his staff tighter and pushed Helen's hand away. "If I hadn't been so desperate for her to see me, then that _never_ would have happened! And do you know what the worst part was? It hurt so much more because it was how _I_ died – and because I didn't even _remember_..."

Helen remembered the story; it had been told to her when the others had explained what had happened last time. It was sad, knowing Jack had lost his life saving his sister...but then witnessing the same thing happen to someone else...and not even _knowing_ why it hurt so much...

"After that, I never tried again," Jack continued. "I refused to let myself fall for anyone. I was afraid of failing; hurting myself was bad enough, but someone _else_ getting hurt... I couldn't let it happen. But then...then you came along. And I've let myself fall for you."

"It does help that I can already see you." She then realized, "We never figured out why that was."

"I think it's because you're...you know..." He sighed. "Even though you can see me, though...I'm still afraid of losing you. It's why I...panicked so much, each time something happened to you."

Helen went to place a hand on his shoulder again...but then realized it wasn't enough. So instead, she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him, and placed her head on his shoulder. He was cold...but it didn't matter to her. She wanted to make him feel better. "It's OK to be afraid. I'm afraid of losing my family. And in my opinion, fear gives you the strength to act and defend yourself, and others. It gives you the strength to rise against it."

"I've never thought of it in that way before."

"Yeah." She sighed and pulled away. "OK, enough of all this sad talk. Fancy doing anything to get back into the Christmas mood?"

Jack turned around and looked out one of the windows; the snow was thick and deep, just the way he liked it. A smirk appeared on his face. "I have an idea; why don't we go have a quick snowball fight?"

"But we're not allowed outside."

"Not alone, we're not," said Jack. "We can get the others outside, too. It'll be fun!" He took Helen's hands in his and pulled her up into the air, and she cried out from the shock.

Helen knew that Jack's heart was in the right place...but she couldn't help but get a bad feeling about this.


	13. Chapter Twelve: Pitch Attacks

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! I really appreciate it! Keep them coming! :D

So things will be going...downhill again. But it needs to happen, as you'll all find out soon enough.

Hope you all enjoy. :)

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The yeti standing guard didn't even see it coming; Jack shot by him, causing him to stumble from the cold wind left behind, and the boy was followed by Jamie and Sophie as they ran outside in their hats, scarves and gloves. After watching them in confusion for a moment, the yeti was about to stop the group when he felt a pat on his shoulder and turned to see his boss.

"It's OK," North assured the yeti.

Helen then walked past, followed by Bunny, Tooth, Katherine and Sandy. Abby ran out too, barking happily with Kailash giving chase, before finally Bernadette and Lowell made their way outside. North chuckled at how happy everyone looked.

The moment his feet came in contact with the snow Bunny began to complain, rubbing his arms to warm himself up. "Crikey! It's freezing out here! I can't feel my feet!" He hopped from one foot to the other.

"Stop complaining, Cottontail," said Jack.

"Easy for you to say," Bunny shot back. "This is _your_ domain; mine is in the warmth and the-" He was cut off when a snowball hit his face, and he glared at Jack.

But the boy raised his hands innocently. "Wasn't me." He pointed down at Sophie, who held another snowball in her hands.

She giggled. "Bunny got hit!" Seeing as it was Sophie who had thrown the snowball, Bunny couldn't be mad and smiled down at her.

Then another snowball his hit nose.

"OK, that one _was_ me," Jack admitted.

But Bunny didn't yell at him, or lose his temper like he would have done. For a magical blue mark had appeared on his nose, and any traces of annoyance left his face immediately before he made a snowball of his own and threw it at Jack while laughing.

Jack casually stepped aside without effort, and the snowball hit Jamie. The boy laughed before making one of his own and throwing it, this one hitting Sandy. It wasn't long before they were all throwing snowballs.

North – who was stood off to the side – laughed...until he himself got hit by a snowball. He turned to see Jamie, who dropped his second snowball in shock. North just laughed again and made a snowball of his own, joining in. A few seconds later Lowell and Bernadette got hit as well, and in response, Lowell shoved a handful of snow down Bernadette's back. After laughing out loud, the woman turned to him and shoved a snowball in his face.

Helen – who had joined in with the rest of them – then stopped and looked around. She suddenly got the feeling that they were being watched. Not paying attention, she didn't see a snowball coming and it hit the side of her face – but she barely registered it.

Jack, who had thrown the snowball, flew over to her. "You feeling OK, HB?"

"Yeah, but..." She sighed. "Are you sure we should be out here?"

"We'll be fine, even if Pitch _does_ show up," said Jack. "He won't be able to take on this." He gestured to himself.

Helen just folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow. "Not very impressive. I've seen better."

The slight smirk on her face told Jack she was teasing him, and smirking back, he formed a snowball in his hand and threw it at her. Helen ducked to avoid it, gathering up the snow in her hands in order to make a ball to throw back at him. "OK, rules of the fight; give me a chance to make one!"

"No rules sounds better." Jack threw another one.

This one hit Helen, and she laughed out loud. "Frostbite, you're gonna get it for that!" She chased after him, throwing her own snowball in his direction.

The snowball fight continued, and the laughter echoed all around the ice walls which hid North's workshop. If anyone had happened to pass by, they would have been shocked to hear such laughter in the middle of nowhere, although it was nothing to worry about for the Guardians; there wasn't anyone else around for miles.

Apart from one.

No one was aware of this dark figure watching them from the shadows.

Pitch gazed upon the scene before him, each shriek of laughter cutting through him like a knife – but he'd learnt to live with it. The Guardians were enjoying themselves, but in the eyes of Pitch, they had dropped their defences and let their guard down. It was what he had been waiting for.

His unnatural yellow eyes settled upon the raven haired girl playing among them, laughing out loud as she was tackled into the snow by Jack Frost. The very thought of his daughter being under the protection of the Guardians was enough to send a burning rage coursing through his veins, but the sight of her laughing and playing with them... Pitch had difficulty holding himself back. More than anything he wanted to storm into the scene and take back what was his, but he knew that would be foolish. These things had to be done right.

He had to wait for the opportune moment – or better yet, cause the opportune moment himself.

A smile twisted his face as dark clouds began to gather overhead, thunder echoing through them with sharp cracks and clashes. The Guardians and Bennetts playing in the snow halted their game and their eyes turned to look upwards, wondering how the weather could have changed in such a short amount of time. And naturally, all eyes turned to Jack.

But the boy looked confused. "Don't look at me. I only cause storms like that when I'm upset, or angry – or both." His eyes narrowed as he stared at the clouds above them. "That's not my work. I've never seen clouds like that before." Without a second thought he took off to get a closer look.

The clouds appeared to grow darker and darker the closer he got, and gripping his staff tightly in his hands, he dared to reach out with it and nudge the clouds apart to see inside.

His eyes widened.

Nightmares. The clouds were filled to the brim with Nightmares, using them as a cover so as not to be seen. Upon seeing Jack a couple of them lashed out, gripping his hoody with their teeth in an effort to pull him into the cloud and consume him. But Jack pulled back, and was able to use his staff to freeze the attacking Nightmares. When he was free he immediately dived back down to the ground to where the others were waiting.

He didn't even wait to land. "Nightmares!" he yelled, still soaring down to them all. "The clouds are full of Nightmares! We need to get back into the workshop now!" He snatched Helen up from the snow – knowing it was her they were after – before launching them both towards the doors.

But a stream of black sand suddenly shot past them, and the blast caused the doors to shut and lock them outside. Jack was able to halt himself before he and Helen crashed into the doors, and the other skidded to a halt when they saw they were locked out. The familiar cackle of Pitch echoed all around them.

North took out his swords and violently swung them around, pointing them in all directions. "You _dare_ attack on Christmas, Pitch?!"

Beside him Bunny took out his boomerangs and Sandy constructed two whips out of sand in his hands. Jack landed back on the ground and kept Helen behind him as he held his staff at the ready, and Bernadette and Lowell placed themselves in front of Jamie and Sophie. Abby began to growl and Kailash honked a warning while Katherine took out her dagger.

Pitch didn't show himself. Instead the shadows grew in size around them, and the Nightmares above began to spill out from their hiding place in the clouds. Both Jamie and Sophie whimpered as they clutched their parents, and even Helen found herself afraid as she clung to Jack's arm.

"Don't be afraid," Jack told her. He thought, looking around him for something he could use – until he realized that the snow would work. "We're going to have some fun."

"Fun?" the girl hissed. "This isn't the time for that!"

Jack just formed a snowball in his hand before adding some more to it to make it bigger. "There's always time for a bit of fun," he said with a slight smirk. "Trust me. We're going to play a game. Whoever takes out the most Nightmares wins."

One of the Nightmares landed before them, and after giving the snowball a toss in his hand, Jack threw it at the thing.

Helen tried not to laugh. The Nightmare snorted in surprise before trying to shake the snow away, and seeing that Jack had a point, Helen hurried forwards and touched another Nightmare. The yellow in its eyes began to spread throughout the rest of its body – as it had done the time before, when she had leapt on one to save Jamie – and within seconds it had been turned into a stallion made of dreamsand. It reared up, whinnying with glee, before happily cantering away.

Watching the new dream, Helen smiled. Jack had been right; turning it into a game made her feel better. "You were right. This _is_ fun."

More Nightmares came, and the Guardians charged into the fray; Nightmares were cut in half and changed into dreamsand almost every second, but more came in order to fill the gap, and it soon became clear that no progress was being made. North – who had planted himself in front of the defenceless Bennetts – kept an eye out for Pitch, knowing that if they defeated him, the Nightmares would go away.

But the Boogeyman was nowhere to be seen.

North became so distracted in finding Pitch that he failed to notice a whole hoard of Nightmares coming towards him, and thanks to a cry from Bernadette, turned to see them just in time. He cut through them with his swords, but the sheer amount of them so close was enough to pull him away from the family while trying to drive them back.

Pitch's plan was put into action when the Nightmares attacked the Bennetts.

Lowell immediately grabbed Jamie and dived out of the way, half carrying and half dragging the boy to the safety of a snow bank. Bernadette was able to push Sophie out of the way of a charging Nightmare, having no time to get out of the way herself; but Tooth, who was faster, zoomed in and grabbed the woman, and the Nightmare collided with the ice wall that had been behind the family.

The only problem was, Sophie was now on her own.

Seeing this – and seeing a Nightmare beginning to close in on her – Bunny leapt into action and threw his boomerangs to defend her, knowing he wouldn't be able to reach her in time. The boomerangs cut through the Nightmare, and Sophie took this as her cue to leap to her feet and hurry towards her parents. But she tripped, and it wasn't long before another Nightmare noticed the youngest Bennett in peril.

Bunny reached her in time and was able to take out the second Nightmare, but before he could grab Sophie and take her to safety, a blast of black sand hit him in the chest, sending him into the ice wall behind and momentarily winding him. Sophie screamed in terror before running over to him; she began to shake him, trying to get him to wake up. Three more Nightmares began to close in.

Bernadette screamed at the sight of her child in danger, but with Nightmares surrounding herself, Lowell and Jamie, she could do nothing about. Tooth and North – who were trying to protect them – could do nothing, either. Sandy, Katherine, Kailash, Abby and Jack were also surrounded.

Helen wasn't, and after turning yet another Nightmare into dreamsand, she charged towards her sister in determination, and _away_ from the other Guardians. It was what Pitch had predicted she'd do.

The girl leapt at the Nightmares, anger in her eyes, and reduced all three of them to a pile of dreamsand within seconds. Sophie began to clap, cheering her sister on...but then she screamed again and pointed, and Helen turned to see what had scared her.

The Nightmares came fast, and were lethal in their mission. They surrounded Helen so fast she didn't have time to try and fight back; she was out cold before she could even reach out and touch one. Jack – who had seen the Nightmares coming moments before – broke away from his position and flew at the hoard, trying to get his friend out. But a particularly large Nightmare appeared before him and knocked him back, half-burying him in the snow.

It lasted only a few seconds; the Nightmares vanished quicker than they'd come, and as they did, the other Nightmares fighting retreated back into the shadows. One tried to finish off the defenceless Jack, but North charged towards it before it could and cut it into pieces.

The Guardians hurried over to where two of their own had fallen, the three Bennetts behind them; Bunny came round first – and was greeted with a hug from Sophie – and Jack followed not long after.

He looked around, his head still spinning. "The Nightmares...they... Where's Helen?"

Seeing the looks on everyone else's faces – and the tears in the eyes of Bernadette – he knew. Standing up, Jack desperately scanned the frozen wasteland for any sign of his friend, but there was none; she was gone.

And it was his fault. _If I hadn't suggested we come out here in the first place..._ "No..."

With a cry of anger and sorrow, Jack hit his staff into the ground and created a powerful cold wind, enough to blow everyone off their feet.


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Light in the Darkness

Thanks for the reviews! :D

I probably should establish something for those of you who haven't read the books - if you're planning to and don't want spoilers, skip this next bit: Pitch does have a daughter. It's Helen's sister, Eartha (her actual name hasn't been revealed yet). This story is exploring what would have happened if he'd had another daughter (could have done; we don't know) who grew up in this time and...found out who her father was.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter, and don't forget to review!

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When Helen woke up everywhere was dark, and for a moment she feared that she'd died. _So this is what death's like?_

But then she felt a pain at the back of her head, and realized that if she'd died, she wouldn't be able to feel a thing. After rubbing the back of her head to ease the ache, she stood up and brushed off her clothes. _Where the hell am I?_ Remembering back, she recalled that she had been out playing in the snow with Jack and the others...and then the Nightmares had shown up...

...and then everything had gone dark...

_And now, if I'm right, Pitch has taken me to...wherever this place is_. She glanced around, looking for a way out; wherever she was, it was like Pitch's old lair, but without the cages. It was mostly dark, and the only light she could see was grey and dull; it lit up the walls which looked like ones belonging to an old European castle.

_The one time where I need my phone..._ She tapped her pocket just in case, but like she suspected, it wasn't there. It had been left in her bag...which was back in _Burgess_.

She could see no way out and sighed, looking down at her hands...but when she did she found that they were glowing and leapt back in surprise.

Her entire body was glowing. Dimly, but enough for her to notice. _Huh. That's interesting. Probably not the strangest thing that's happened over these last few days..._ Deciding not to question it further, she began to look around. _I have to get out of here. Wherever 'here' is_. She began to run to her left, directly into the shadows...but when she came out again, she found herself in the exact same spot where she had been standing moments before.

Almost as if she had just run in a circle.

Seeing a flight of stairs, she hurried up them and ran along the hallway above...but then found herself back where she started _again_. "Great, I just had to get myself trapped in an M. C. Escher painting." Thinking things through, she wondered what would happen if she purposely tried to find her way back to the same spot. _In theory, it would take me somewhere else_. So with a shrug, she tried it.

And ended up back in the same spot.

"AGH!" She collapsed onto her knees and allowed her face to fall into her hands.

Then she felt a strange feeling in her stomach.

Helen looked up, a sense of deja vu hitting her softly; she remembered back to when she had been in Pitch's old lair, and had gotten the same feeling before the Boogeyman had attacked. It wasn't butterflies, and almost felt like a warning. She realized instantly it was exactly that; a warning.

_But I've never been able to do that before. Then again, I've never been able to do that light thing before, either_.

Knowing that something bad would be coming – be it the black sand, the Nightmares or even Pitch Black himself – Helen began to turn in circles, looking out for anything unusual or strange. _But this is an unusual and strange place; it's gonna be hard. I'll just look for something which stands out. Not that Pitch will stand out in a place like this..._

That's when the voice made itself know. _Danger coming. Run. Get to safety_.

Briefly Helen wondered why the feeling in her stomach and the voice hadn't warned her about Pitch before, when he had kidnapped Jamie and then kidnapped her. But realizing there was no use dwelling on 'what ifs', she focussed her mind on the voice. _Danger from where? Come on, mysterious voice in my head. Tell me_.

_He's coming_, the voice continued. _Fight back or run. Hide. Run. Get out of there_.

Helen rolled her eyes. _Would help if I knew where to run_. She turned around, trying once again to find a way out.

"It's no use. You can't escape." Helen spun round, and out of the shadows Pitch emerged, smirking. "Those who have ever escaped my lair were only able to because I _wanted_ them to."

He ducked out of the way when Helen suddenly launched herself at him, her hands glowing brightly and her eyes showing the anger that had built up inside her. Pitch disappeared into the shadows and reappeared behind her, but then Helen turned and charged at him again.

"Oh, you'll want me to escape after I'm through with you!" she yelled.

Before she could reach him Pitch disappeared again, and Helen spun around frantically, trying to spy him in the shadows. With Pitch being the King of Nightmares, it was hard.

The Boogeyman appeared on a bridge above her head. "You know what? I'll just let you vent your anger for a few minutes."

Helen was already running towards him, trying to find a way up onto the bridge, but when she ran up a nearby flight of stairs she ended up _lower_ than before. She heard Pitch's laugh, but she couldn't see him.

"Very frustrating, isn't it? My lair just _loves_ torturing those trapped inside." Helen stepped backwards, and found that she was on another bridge; Pitch's voice was coming from underneath it. Getting down on her belly, Helen crawled towards the edge and looked under.

Pitch was standing upside down, and it confused her. "OK, most of my anger aside, how are you doing that?"

"I can do many things," Pitch replied. "The reason I can survive in here is because I am one with the shadows. If you become one, you'll be able to do the same."

"I'll _never_ do that!" She tried to lash out at him, but he vanished. Then she realized that Pitch hadn't been standing upside down; _she_ was upside down. She fell and landed on the cold, hard floor, and seeing the shadows begin to surround her, she immediately got to her feet.

She was back in the main part of the lair, where she had woken up, and Pitch was stood in the centre. She growled in anger, and the Boogeyman laughed. "Yes, just let it all out. I can do this all day."

With a snarl of anger Helen ran at him again, her hands glowing brightly with power. But then, once again, Pitch disappeared...and to make things more confusing, more and more shadows of him appeared all around her, all laughing – mocking her. Helen cried out in anger once more and attacked the nearest one, which just vanished before she could make contact. The rest did the same when she attacked them.

This continued for a few minutes, Helen chasing Pitch throughout his lair, disappearing into shadows and emerging out of them, until Helen found herself out of breath. She rested on one knee as she panted to get it back, gaze averted to the floor.

Pitch appeared once more. "Feel better?"

Helen glared at him. "If you're going to do something to me, hurry it up. Unless you plan on tormenting me in this place first."

Pitch raised an eyebrow. "It would appear that I need to make things clear for you; I don't want to hurt you."

"Really?" said Helen in a sarcastic manner. "Why didn't I get that impression before?"

"I could do without your sarcasm." Pitch examined his fingernails. "I wanted to you to move around freely instead of chaining you down."

"I'm not exactly _free_ in here. This place is like the Halloween version of a carnival fun-house."

"Then I'll make things quick," he interrupted. "I plan on turning you into my Nightmare Princess."

Helen raised an eyebrow. "And that's not hurting me...how?"

"It's a painless process," said Pitch. "That is coming from someone who has been through it. The transformation opens your mind to the truth; you have never felt so _alive_ until you have become one with the shadows. Experience it. Join me."

The girl backed away. "If you think I'm going to turn against my friends _and_ family, you can think again."

Pitch's eyes narrowed. "I see that those "Guardians" have already corrupted you. They have taught you to view the world in the same narrow-minded way they do, seeing only pretty unicorns and rainbows and not the reality that lies underneath. They think they're so _good_, but look at what they've done; they've turned you against your own father."

"You are _not_ my father. My father's name is Lowell Bennett; a man who has always been there for me and has loved me like his own daughter."

Pitch's face filled with anger before he sent a stream of black sand at Helen. The girl flinched and held out her hands to protect herself, and when they came in contact with the sand, it turned golden. Pitch did it again, and Helen blocked this one with more ease.

"You can't do it, Pitch," she told him.

But Pitch wasn't beaten; with a growl of anger he sent a tidal wave of black sand in her direction, led by several Nightmares. Helen held out her hands again, and they began to glow as the black sand grew closer. The sand didn't turn golden on contact this time, and Helen began to struggle in her effort to hold it back. Pitch struggled to keep it going forwards, and when something had to give, there was an explosion which sent both of them hurtling backwards.

They both picked themselves up, panting for breath, having used most of their energy on holding their ground. Pitch stared at his daughter; part of him felt...proud by the power she wielded, but another part of him felt angered. He wanted to try again, but didn't have the energy.

"Stop _fighting me_," he said.

"No." Helen shook her head. "I will _never_ stop fighting you. You can throw every Nightmare you have at me, and I will fight back. I don't want to be on your side, Pitch. Live with it."

The Nightmare King snarled, and striding towards her he raised a hand to hit her. Helen flinched instinctively, despite knowing it would hurt him instead of her. But then Pitch seemed to reconsider and lowered his hand, before turning away and disappearing into the shadows.

"Fine," she heard his voice say. "Then maybe I will take your suggestion and torment you. You will not leave this prison, and you shall be trapped until you give in and become what you were meant to be."

Helen looked around. She approached one of the walls and tried pushing on it, hoping it could be a secret door like she saw in cartoons, but it was no use. It wouldn't budge. She sighed, resting a hand on her head as it began to spin. _I don't have the energy to test anywhere else_. So she sat herself down, back leaning against the wall as she let out a deep sigh.

_I've got plenty of time to kill. Might as well make the best of it_.

* * *

Jack couldn't pinpoint her location.

No matter how hard he concentrated – no matter how hard he tried – he couldn't get a sense of where Helen could be. He kept thinking about her; her smile, her face, the magical blue mark he left on her when he kissed her cheek... But nothing worked.

It made him fear the worse. Pitch could have killed her. Or turned her into a Nightmare Princess...

He shook his head. _No, her powers wouldn't allow it_. He thought back to the talk they'd had earlier; any feelings she had for him weren't as strong as the ones he had for her. He guessed it was why the connection didn't work. _It's my fault this happened. Helen's the fourth girl now... Why did I let this happen again?_

The boy was sat down next to the Christmas tree, where Helen's untouched presents were still piled up; the sight of them caused Jack's heart to break, and he kept his eyes averted away from them. But what he was holding in his hand wasn't any less heartbreaking.

A hand was laid upon his shoulder, and Jack looked up to see Lowell giving him a comforting smile. "I don't blame you, Jack. And you shouldn't blame yourself."

"I know." He brushed the hand away. "But I was the one who suggested going outside, and look what happened?" He turned away and looked over at the rest of the Bennett family; Bernadette was comforting her remaining two children, Jamie resting his head against her shoulder while Sophie's head was in her mother's lap.

Lowell looked over as well, before turning back to the young boy. That's when he noticed what Jack was holding. "Was that for her?"

Jack looked down at the item. It was a necklace made out of North's special ice that didn't melt, which he used to design the toys. After the group had arrived back from their gift-delivering duties and the children had gone to sleep for a few short hours, Jack had stayed up with North's tools making it. It was a thin but simple chain with a snowflake charm dangling down.

"Yeah," Jack finally replied. "I know it's not much, but I didn't have long to make it. And now..." His hand closed around it as he shut his eyes in despair.

The man gazed down at the boy with surprise. As his daughter had grown, he had vowed to himself that all the boys who she brought home would be out of the house faster than the race car they would most likely be driving; no boy would go near his little girl, not on his watch. He had been glad that as Helen had grown older, she hadn't shown much interest in boys.

This boy, however... Lowell hadn't been expecting a boy like Jack, but it hadn't taken him long to figure out that he was different compared to the leather-wearing, pants-down boys he had expected. Jack was playful and fun, but also loving and caring. Lowell could see just how much Helen meant to this boy, and it was that look in his eyes which assured Lowell that his daughter had made the right choice – and that he wouldn't have to break the boy's leg any time soon.

As this was happening, the other Guardians were trying to figure out what to do. "We must get her back," said North.

"No kidding, mate. But how are we supposed to do that?" asked Bunny. "We couldn't find him last time no matter how hard we tried. We only did because of the strange connection thing between her and Jack, and he can't feel it this time."

They then looked over at him to see if he had made any progress. Jack simply turned away from them, and the action spoke for itself. Jamie – who had looked up from his mother's shoulder at this point – gave his friend a supportive look; he knew how close Jack and his sister had become, and although he mostly wanted to get Helen back because...well, she was his sister, he also wanted Jack to be happy again. He couldn't bear to see the Guardian of Fun looking anything but.

"But that doesn't mean we should give up." Jamie stood up, and although he was worried about his sister his expression showed no fear.

Bunny rolled his eyes. "I never said we should give up, mate."

A Mini Fairy fluttered into the room and approached Tooth. After speaking with her, Tooth's head lowered. "Baby Tooth went to check Pitch's old lair, but there's no sign of him."

"And he wouldn't have set a trap this time," said Jack. "He only wanted Helen; now he has her."

"Was there any sign of him in the area?" asked Katherine. Tooth shook her head.

Then, in the gap in the roof above the globe, the full moon appeared. It shone so bright that the Guardians noticed it immediately and turned towards it, walking forwards to get a closer look. Jack rose from his seat to follow, and the Bennetts remained a little way behind; this was Guardian business, after all.

"Do you think he knows where Helen is?" asked Jack.

The light of the moon shone down on the spot in between them and the globe. Then the floor suddenly opened up, and out of it, a large mirror raised itself out. Its surface began to ripple like water, and all the Guardians other than Jack knew exactly what this meant.

Katherine clutched North's arm. "Do you know what this means?"

"What?" Jack looked between them all, confused.

"Manny is contacting us personally," said North. "He must think Helen's kidnapping is big deal." Bernadette opened her moth to ask another question, but North turned and beat her to it. "He knows about her, already. Manny knows everything."

In awe by what was happening, Jamie hurried forwards and stood next to Jack in order to get a better look. Sophie did the same, wandering over to Bunny while gasping with amazement.

A face began to form in the mirror; it was a man dressed in a golden suit with a red bow tie. He was almost bald apart from the blonde strand of hair which stuck upright, forming a half moon at the tip, and his face was very round with one of the warmest smiles anyone had ever seen painted across it.

This was the Man in the Moon.

The Guardians bowed. Jack quickly copied their example, and urged the Bennetts to do the same, which they did.

"Rise, my friends," said the Man in the Moon.

North rose first. "It is an honour to see you face to face, Manny."

"The honour is all mine." He nodded to each of the Guardians as they rose as well, and even nodded to the Bennett family, much to their shock and amazement. "It has been a long time since we have spoken like this."

"So why now?" asked Bunny.

"Because we are at the point of a new beginning," said Manny. "Pitch's reign of terror will be soon coming to an end. It has been foretold by Father Time himself."

Katherine gasped happily. "Ombric."

"Yes, my dear Mother Goose." Manny nodded.

"But how?" asked Tooth. "How will his reign end?"

"That is a fine question," said Manny. "Only, as we all know, the Rules of Time must be abided by, and Father Time could no say anymore. However, he did tell me that a Guardian will rise to defeat him once and for all. How this Guardian will defeat him, I am not sure."

The Guardians exchanged glances. "Who is this Guardian you speak of?" asked North. "Is it one of us?"

Manny shook his head. "In the words of Father Time; 'When the Guardians rise, Pitch will fall. But the Guardian of Light will defeat him once and for all'."

Eyes widened. "You mean...Nightlight?" Katherine dared to ask.

Manny shook his head. "We all know – all too well – that Nightlight's sacrifice cannot be reversed. Not even our beliefs can bring him back."

That was when Jamie stepped forwards, despite Jack trying to stop him. All this talk about the Guardian of Light was interesting, but there was only one thing he wanted to know. "Will you help us find my sister?" he asked.

"Of course I will," said Manny. "At this very moment, I have every Moon Beam I command out searching for Helen. I assure you, little one; we _will_ find her, and we _will_ bring her back safely. I promise."


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Pitch and Helen

We passed 100 views! Thanks, guys! :D

OK, so...I'm a little worried about this chapter. It focuses on Pitch, and it...has him in situations he wouldn't usually be in. Especially at the end. I tried to keep him in character as best I could, but if he does seem off to you all, then please tell me. It's awesome writing villains, but also hard...

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and keep the reviews coming!

Disclaimer: I don't own the lyrics to the songs in this chapter. Oh, you'll see... xD

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"_And then I saw her face! Now I'm a believer!_"

"Be quiet!"

Silence.

"_Working at the car wash! Oh, oh, yeah, yeah!_"

"I told you not to sing!"

Silence.

"_I like to move it, move it! You like to move it, move it!_"

"Stop. SINGING!"

Silence. Pitch thought she had stopped for real this time. But then...

"_Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy!_" He placed his head in his hands, unsure how much more of this he could take. His lair was supposed to be torturing _her_ – not the other way around. "_So here's my number! Call me, maybe!_"

"Would you SHUT UP?!" Pitch finally materialized from the shadows, anger written across the length of his face.

Helen just looked up innocently from where she was sat. "What? Am I bothering you? Well excuse me for trying to kill time."

"My lair is supposed to drive you to insanity," Pitch informed her. "In case you are not aware of this little detail, you're _trapped_."

But the girl just shrugged. "Never been bothered by the dark – but now that I think about it, that's probably because of the whole light thing I can do."

Pitch growled, and refrained from hitting her before turning around and burying his head in his hands. "You're as annoying as Frost."

She shrugged. "Maybe that's one of the reasons why he's attracted to me. I don't know."

Pitch's eyes widened and he slowly turned back to her, unable to comprehend what he'd just heard. "You mean to say that...Frost is attracted to you? Is the feeling mutual?"

"I'm not sure myself at the moment, but I have to admit he's kind off...cute." Upon seeing the almost horrified look upon Pitch's face, she added, "I'm a sixteen year old girl; it's natural for me to find boys cute."

Pitch's eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't be with _him_."

"And why not?"

"Because..." Pitch paused to think. "He's irresponsible, has no sense of commitment, he slacks off all the time, he doesn't keep to deadlines, and...he's just a teenage rebel who you shouldn't be getting involved with!"

Helen raised her hands up in defence. "Whoa! Who are _you_ to tell me what to do?"

"I'm your father!"

"Oh, that makes _perfect_ sense!" Helen threw up her arms in anger, before she got to her feet to face him properly. "Yes, you're my father! Who, for the last couple of centuries, has been parading across the planet scaring the pants off little kiddies and trying to plunge the world into darkness! And when you _finally_ realize you have a daughter you not only _kidnap_ me and try and turn me into a _creature of darkness_, but you also think you have the right to tell me who I can and can't date! Actually, just who I _can't_ date!"

"It is a parent's job to make sure their child does exactly as they say!" Pitch leaned right in when he said this, trying to make his message clear.

But Helen punched him in the nose, knocking him backwards from the force of it – and from the shock. He held his nose in agony, and taking his hand away, he realized that part of his face had turned back to its human colour. But instead of dunking his face into the shadows, he looked back at Helen.

She just stared at him, her face showing that what she was about to say was serious business. "What kind of father tries to turn his daughter into some kind of shadow being? If you really cared about me you would do what was best for _me_, instead of what's best for yourself. I can't be forced to be someone I don't want to be."

The girl turned her back on him, unable to look at him any longer. It would have been a good opportunity to jump her...but Pitch found that he didn't have it in him. Instead he just shrunk back into the shadows, thinking about what Helen had said.

* * *

Pitch rarely ever thought about his past. After the shadows consumed him, his mind became twisted as he tore through the galaxy, and made him think things he never would have thought before. Then when he awakened on Earth after being imprisoned for so long, his past was lost to him.

Until he had been reminded during the heat of battle.

During his time hiding under beds, he had spent most of it plotting against the Guardians – but sometimes, when he felt especially lonely, he would remember back to the family he once had, and regret his weak decision to open the prison and let the shadows out.

Pitch's thoughts lingered on his family as he laid down to rest, still thinking about what Helen had said and the way she'd looked at him. His eyes drifted closed, and as his slept, his mind filled with memories of the life he led before his transformation.

_He was in the bedroom with his wife, Charisse. She had just finished giving birth to their first daughter, Eartha, and Pitch – then known as Kozmotis – held the girl gently in his arms. There was a dark curl of hair upon her head, and when she opened her eyes, they were the darkest brown anyone could have seen – like his own eyes. _

"_Welcome to the world, Eartha," said Kozmotis with a soft voice. _

_The memory changed, and Kozmotis was playing with his daughter in a wide field under the stars, as the many Golden Age starships passed overhead. Kozmotis held a sword in his hand, and the five-year-old Eartha did as well. Charisse was sat nearby on a picnic blanket, watching. _

_Kozmotis and Eartha were play-fighting. "When I grow up, I wanna be just like you, Daddy!" the little girl proclaimed. _

"_She's such a Daddy's Girl," said Charisse with a smile. _

_The memory changed again; Eartha was twelve, and Kozmotis was dressed in his Golden Age uniform. It was during the short time gap between the defeat of the shadows and when Kozmotis volunteered to guard their prison. Eartha was dragging him away from the house, and in the doorway, Charisse stood with a growing belly which carried the couple's second daughter; a girl they had already named Helenka. _

"_Be careful," Charisse called after them. _

_Kozmotis chuckled. "We will." _

_There was a jump in the memory. Kozmotis and Eartha were by the lake which they had been swimming in, and Kozmotis had been using a large tree branch to jump off and dive into the water. Eartha had wanted to do the same, but upon reaching the top, she changed her mind. _

_But then the branch began to break, and she was too afraid to move. _

"_You're going to be OK," Kozmotis told his daughter. "Just take in deep breaths." _

"_Daddy, I'm afraid." Eartha gripped the breaking branch tightly. _

_Kozmotis looked at the branch, then down at the water below. He knew that if Eartha fell, she wouldn't be seriously hurt; she knew how to swim, and it wasn't too far to fall. But he couldn't stand to see her so afraid, the fear in her eyes evident from where he was standing. _

"_I know you're afraid. But you're going..." He looked at the branch again, thinking. "...you're going to be fine. Just do as Daddy says. I promise, with all my heart, that I won't let you fall. OK?" _

_Eartha looked at him and nodded. "OK, Daddy." _

"_Now," he continued, "I know it's scary, but I need you to look down." Eartha bit her lip, but she did as asked. "You fear falling in. All you have to do is be strong, stare that fear right in the face, and tell it that you're not afraid." _

_His daughter took in a deep breath, before saying aloud to the drop below, "I'm not afraid of you." _

_Kozmotis smiled. "OK. Do you feel better?" _

_She looked back at him and smiled. "Yes, Daddy." _

"_So now you can move towards me without fear," said her father. "Come on. Easy does it." _

_Eartha crawled slowly across the branch, and with her fear gone, she was able to concentrate on keeping her balance and making it back. When she reached the main trunk of the tree, Kozmotis stepped forwards and reached his arms out; Eartha jumped into them and gave her father a big hug. Kozmotis hugged her back. _

"_You're my hero, Daddy. I'll never be afraid of anything again." _

_Kozmotis closed his eyes..._

...and Pitch's eyes flashed open, before he shot upright. Taking in deep breaths, he was able to calm himself after his experience. _I haven't had a dream like that...in a long time_.

He then saw the remains of dreamsand swirling around his head, and immediately battered them away. "Get away!" The dreamsand turned to black sand, and a new Nightmare was formed. Pitch sighed, patting the Nightmare's nose.

Onyx then appeared, whinnying, and made gestures with her head towards the section of the lair where Helen was. Pitch raised an eyebrow. "She's finally giving in?" Part of Pitch panicked at the thought...but he quickly pushed this worry down and stood up from where he had been sleeping. _No, this is good. I need to push those memories away_.

He walked towards his daughter with Onyx and the second Nightmare, and upon arriving, he found Helen hunched over with her knees pulled against her chest. From what he could hear, she was sobbing. _Keep those old emotions under control...this may be the only chance I have..._ He sighed, closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Had enough?" he asked. Helen didn't reply. "Oh, come on, now. Fighting back will only cause you more pain. And I don't like to see you in pain." He gestured to the second Nightmare to do its job, and it trotted towards the girl. "This will be quick and painless. You'll thank me afterwards."

The Nightmare leaned in to touch her...but before it could, Helen suddenly shot up from the floor and leapt on the back of the Nightmare, grabbing its mane. The Nightmare whinnied, rearing up and bucking in an attempt to get her off, but it was too late; Helen's power got to work, and the yellow in the creature's eyes spread across its body, turning it into a dreamsand stallion.

Pitch took a step back in shock. "What?"

Helen smirked at him. "An advantage to being a girl; when you pretend to cry, people fall for it." She gave the stallion a kick before it took of, and since it was able to light up the hallways, Helen could see where she was going – and therefore find a way out.

The Boogeyman couldn't believe what he had just witnessed; Helen had been able to trick him into sending a Nightmare towards her – and was using it to escape. Part of him felt proud of the gambit she'd been able to pull off, but his dark side was enraged. _How dare she!_ He leapt on Onyx and gave chase.

Using the light from the stallion, Helen was able to navigate her way through the once shadowy halls and discovered a tunnel leading upwards; she rode her stallion up it, and was surprised to find herself in Pitch's old lair. She hung around long enough for Pitch to catch up.

"I must say, I'm impressed," she told him. "Hiding your new lair under your old one? Never would have thought of that. It's genius."

Pitch didn't say anything back; instead he charged, and Helen avoided him with ease before riding her stallion out through the exit and into broad daylight. She rode off into the woods, trying to get her bearings, and Pitch burst out from the lair behind her with a good number of Nightmares.

Helen looked over her shoulder, and seeing the hoard, she began to think. "I have to get rid of them somehow. But how? What would Jack do?" Her face lit up when she answered her own question. "He would have a little fun." Gazing up at the trees, Helen got an idea and clicked her stallion onwards; it set a faster pace, and once it was mostly out of sight behind a large tree, Helen urged it to jump. It did, and leapt from branch to branch above.

Below, Pitch looked around in confusion; Helen had suddenly disappeared, and he couldn't see where she had gone. He kept an eye out for her, in case she leapt out and surprised him.

Suddenly a large blanket of snow fell down on his head, and Pitch yelled from the shock as Onyx reared up, coming to a stop. He was able to keep his balance as he began to wipe the snow away from his face. But with him distracted, Helen swooped down from above and charged through the Nightmare hoard, destroying them and laughing as she did.

Hearing her laughter Pitch scowled, and clicked Onyx on before taking to the air. In the skies above the trees, Helen saw her father gaining behind her, so pulled some dreamsand from the stallion and turned it into two birds, which she sent flying behind her. The birds began to peck at Pitch, and after trying to wave them away, he grabbed both and turned them into black sand; they crumbled away and fell.

Helen steered her stallion back down again, and Pitch tried to follow; but he ended up with branches smacking in his face, and Onyx was cut through so many times that her form crumbled away from beneath him. Pitch ended up falling the rest of the way down and landed hard in the snow. He slowly picked himself up, brushing the snow out of his hair and cursing Jack Frost as he did. There was no sign of Helen.

Until he heard her scream.

Pitch was instantly alert. Before, hearing her scream would have been music to his ears. But instead, it sent worry coursing through his veins and he immediately began running in the direction of her voice. The tree line eventually stopped, and Pitch froze at the sight he saw.

He saw a small tree that had grown sideways off the edge of the cliff, and clinging to one of the branches was Helen. Her face was trying not to show fear, and she refused to look down at the long drop below.

But worst of all, the tree was beginning to snap.

"What happened?" Pitch demanded.

Helen laughed hesitantly. "I discovered why Mum and Dad won't let me get my driver's licence." The tree creaked, and the girl let out a gasp before clutching the branch tighter. "You know, as much as I want to get away from you, sinking into the shadows and coming to get me will be a pretty good plan."

"I can't. There's no shadows around you for me to sink into."

She looked and saw he was right. "OK, what about hopping onto one of your Nightmares?"

"You destroyed them." He knew he could summon more, but if they smelt Helen's fear...

"Oh, _great_." The tree creaked again, and a frightened yelp escaped her mouth.

"You're going to be OK." Pitch raised his hands as if to steady her. "Just take in deep breaths."

Helen did as he said, not wanting to argue, and closed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself. "Sorry. I'm just...afraid."

Pitch got a sense of deja vu, and then instead of Helen, he saw Eartha. It was the same scene; the breaking tree branch, the drop below, a daughter in peril, the fear evident in a pair of brown eyes... He knew what he had to do.

He carefully stepped closer, as if his very footsteps would cause the tree to snap; the situation was more serious than it had been the last time, and Pitch knew this fall could kill her. "I know you're afraid. But you're going..." He looked into his daughter eyes, "...you're going to be fine. Just do as Daddy says. I promise, with all my heart, that I won't let you fall. OK?"

The girl didn't know what to say to that. _Daddy?_ She wasn't sure if she could trust him...but looking into his eyes, she realized that he looked genuinely worried for her, and dare she think it, _scared_. Curious about this sudden change in the Boogeyman, Helen nodded. "OK."

Pitch nodded, and Helen could have sworn there was a slight smile on his face.

"Now," he continued, "I know it's scary, but I need you to look down."

"Look down?" She tilted her head in confusion. "Doesn't that just make things worse?"

"Just trust me."

Helen bit her lip; this could easily be a trick in order to scare her more...but she saw the worry in his eyes again, and wondered what he was up to. So, she did as he asked and looked down. The height made her a little dizzy, but she resisted looking back up again.

"You fear falling," said Pitch. "All you have to do is be strong, stare that fear right in the face, and tell it that you're not afraid."

_This coming from the Boogeyman?_ Helen continued to stare down at the drop below, and the longer she did, the more her fear began to shrink away. The strength to survive grew as a result, and staring down at the height below her, she told it, "I'm not afraid of you."

If she had chosen to look up, she would have seen Pitch smile. "OK. Do you feel better?"

She looked back at him. "Strangely enough...yes."

"So now you can move towards me without fear," said her father. "Come on. Easy does it." Helen began to crawl along the branch, slowly and carefully so she didn't put too much pressure on it all at once. It looked as though she was going to make it...

...but then the tree snapped.

"NO!" Pitch immediately ran forwards and leapt over the edge, pushing himself off the cliff to give himself more speed. Helen fell below him, and he was able to catch up and grab her, wrapping his arms around her to shelter her from the fall.

His eyes then spotted another branch sticking out from the cliff, and he reached out to grab it before they passed. Their fall was halted, and for a few silent moments they just hung there, both trying to get their breaths back.

Helen turned to look up at Pitch, but then she noticed... "I'm burning you!" His skin was turning human where she touched, and remembering how much pain it had caused the man before...

But if Pitch felt the pain, he didn't show it. "Am I really going to let you fall?" Helen blinked in surprise. Then a whinny was heard from above, and both looked up to see a familiar Nightmare staring down at them. "Onyx, come!" Pitch commanded. The Nightmare flew down to them, and Pitch grabbed its mane before allowing it to take both him and his daughter back up again.

When they reached the top they both collapsed on the ground, panting for breath. Then Helen turned to stare at Pitch, unable to believe what he'd just done. _He tried to get me to safety...and then he jumped off a frigging cliff for me..._

Pitch turned to look up at her, and in his eyes Helen saw no malice or hatred which she had so often seen in them. Instead, he looked _scared_, and this shocked her. What shocked her even more, though, was when he suddenly pulled her towards him in a tight hug. "I thought I'd lost you again."

Helen didn't know what to say to that at all. She had been told by the Guardians that Pitch had once been a dedicated father, but this part of him had died when Kozmotis Pitchiner had become Pitch Black. But what she had just witnessed...what he had just done for her...those were the instincts of a father.

It made her wonder that maybe – just maybe – Kozmotis Pitchiner hadn't died, after all.


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Night Talks

So here's the next chapter! A big thank you to all those who reviewed the last one! :D

I don't have much to say about this one, really... *shrugs* Just the usual; I hope you all enjoy it and don't forget to review!

* * *

Two lone horses made their way through the snow-covered woodland, one black as the midnight sky above while the other was a beautiful golden colour like the shimmering sunlight.

Pitch rode on ahead at a steady pace while Helen followed on behind, her head hung low. Her thoughts were still lingering upon what had happened earlier. _He saved me... He looked so worried for me...so scared..._

"Thanks...by the way," the girl finally spoke.

The Nightmare King didn't turn, but Helen heard him sigh. "It's what any father would have done. Why does everyone assume that I won't react in the same way?"

"Well, no offence, but you haven't exactly given anyone _reason_ to believe that," Helen admitted. "You tried to snuff out the beliefs of children across the globe, you tried to kill my brother twice, _and_ you also kidnapped him. And let's not forget that locking your own daughter up isn't something a father does."

"I don't want to lose you again."

"But it's not about that," she told him. "My mum has a saying; '_If you love something, let it go. If it returns to you, then it's yours. But if it doesn't, then it was never meant to be_'. It's what I was trying to get at before; if you really cared about me, then you wouldn't have locked me up."

Pitch didn't reply, and was silent for a long time. It was when Helen became certain that he wasn't going to answer that Pitch finally spoke. "But if I hadn't, you wouldn't have stuck around."

Helen opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again when she realized he had a point. He had proven that he cared about her; she didn't know many fathers who would be willing to _jump off a freaking cliff_ in order to save their child. She wasn't even sure if Lowell would go that far. And having lost her once, Helen could sort of understand why Pitch locked her up.

As he said, he didn't want to lose her again.

The Nightmare King finally drew to a halt outside the hole that led to both his old lair and his new one. Pitch climbed off his Nightmare, and Helen followed suit off her dreamsand stallion. She noticed Pitch patting his Nightmare almost tenderly. "Good girl, Onyx."

This surprised Helen, and she remembered the name from before. _He names his Nightmares?_ Both the Nightmare and the stallion disappeared, leaving the two alone. But instead of going inside Pitch just looked down at the hole sadly...before he wandered away and sat upon a fallen tree which was starting to rot nearby, but not before brushing aside the snow that had setted on top of it. He looked up at the full moon and the surrounding stars before he sighed.

Helen found herself walking towards him curiously; she had never seen him look so..._vulnerable_ before. But as she got closer she realized he was holding something in his hand, and was staring down at it. Whatever it was, it was attached to a chain which hung around his neck.

"What's that?" she asked.

Pitch quickly closed his hand around the item to prevent her from seeing it. "Nothing important."

"Looks like something important to me. Something you could share with your _own daughter_?" she tried. Pitch obviously wanted to make some kind of connection with her; she'd figured that out earlier. Turning her into a Nightmare Princess was just the wrong way to go about it.

It seemed to work, for Pitch opened up his hand again slightly. Helen moved in closer so she could see, and after some hesitation, Pitch showed her; there was a picture of a familiar girl inside, with dark raven hair and dark eyes to match. She looked young – about eleven or twelve – and was smiling.

Helen recognized her. "That's...my sister. Eartha, I think. She was there that day on the _Moon Clipper_; I saw her in my memory."

The mention of that day made Pitch screw his eyes shut. Thinking back to it, he couldn't believe what he had done, and what he had been about to do – in fact, he couldn't even believe his recent actions in trying to do the same thing to Helen. "I'm such a monster."

"What?" Helen stared at him. "No, your not. I mean...metaphorically speaking... Oh, never mind. What I'm trying to say is, a monster doesn't feel love. You obviously care about me and still love Eartha. And most of the things you did can...in a way, be justified. You were lonely before, and this time you just wanted me back. Even the Guardians feel slightly sorry for you."

Pitch didn't know what to say to that. Earlier that day, this girl had hated him; now she was trying to assure him of something he knew wasn't true. "But the fact that I still have loved ones makes me even _more_ a monster; that I'm willing to use them, and kidnap them, and..." He trailed off, and touched the photograph gently with his finger.

The girl bit her lip. She was afraid of saying something wrong, so chose not to reply at all. Instead, she asked, "If you loved your family, why did you let yourself be turned? Why did you let that one moment of weakness get to you?"

Pitch sighed and shut the locket. "The love for my family _was_ my moment of weakness."

Helen blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

He sighed. "That day...the day I turned...I was thinking about you all. I opened up this locket to look, and...the shadows saw it. They began to taunt me with her voice, saying she was trapped in with them. I didn't listen to them at first...but then I realized... What if she really _was_ trapped in there? And I was stood outside doing nothing. I had to open the door. I had to check she wasn't in there. It was the biggest mistake I ever made."

Helen didn't know what to say. "So you became what you are because you thought my sister was trapped and you were trying to save her?"

"I was weak."

"No, you weren't," she insisted. "If that had been me, and I thought Jamie and Sophie were trapped in there, I would have done the same thing. It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's like you said; it's what any father would have done."

"It was still weak. I should have known she wasn't in there."

She thought about this. "Well, the way I see it, fear isn't a weakness at all." Pitch turned to her with a questioning look. "Remember what you told me to do back there? You told me to look down and face my fear head on, and doing that gave me strength to concentrate on getting to safety." He looked thoughtful. "Oh, and referring to your fear of losing me and my sister; not only did you _jump off a cliff_ to save me, but you were also willing to _face down and entire prison of evil_ in order to get Eartha out, on the chance that she was in there at all. Those aren't things you would normally do on a daily basis. So if you ask me, fear isn't a weakness; it's a strength."

Pitch looked away, and although what Helen said had sunk in, he still looked sad. "Sometimes I wish I could turn back time."

Helen shifted closer to him, and very slowly, she reached out and took his hand in hers. Like the many times she had done this before, the hand turned back to its human colour, but Pitch didn't cry out; he just looked down at it as if it didn't hurt him – or if it did, he didn't mind.

"And I'm sure Eartha would understand that you were trying to save her," Helen added. Then, after a thought, she asked, "What happened to her?"

Pitch sighed. "I don't know. That day she drifted out the window and never returned. I assumed she died. But during the Dark Ages...when I was fighting against the Guardians...I saw her. I could have sworn I did. It was only for a moment, but..." He trailed off, letting out another sigh. "Maybe I was just seeing things."

Helen was unsure how to respond to that. A cool breeze blew, and Helen wrapped her arms around herself while shivering.

Concern in his eyes, Pitch hesitated to place an arm around her; it took a bit of time, but he got there eventually. "Come on, let's get you inside."

They stood up and walked towards the hole. "All right," Helen agreed. "I hope you've got some sort of heating system in your Carnival Fun-House of Doom."

Pitch at first chuckled at the name she had come up with for his lair...but then he shut his eyes and sighed. If he was honest with himself...after what had happened, he didn't want to put her back in there. "You don't have to go in."

Helen turned to look up at him. "Huh?"

"You were right before. You don't have to go in." He avoided eye contact with her.

Helen couldn't believe what she was hearing. "So you're letting me escape?"

"If you do...I'll see if you come back." He walked inside without another word.

_This could be my chance_. Helen turned back to face the night, thinking how easy it could be to run and never look back, summon Jack or one of the other Guardians...but something held her back.

_I can't do it_. The memory of the sad expression upon Pitch's face held her firmly in place, and she had to admit that she was...curious about this new side of him. She thought of Jack, and how lonely he had been during the years since he became Jack Frost right up to the battle with Pitch; the boy had told her that despite everything, he felt sorry for Pitch. Both had spent centuries alone without being believed in, and Jack could sympathize with the Boogeyman on that.

Helen knew that just like her family, Jack would be worried sick about her. Probably even more so, taking his heightened emotions into consideration. It would be the right thing to escape, but... _I hope you understand, Jack_. But her decision didn't mean that she didn't miss him. She _did_, and she imagined him kissing her cheek again like he had done before.

She then turned to follow Pitch inside.

But as she did, something caught her eye and she turned to look up at the sky. A single cloud was floating above, and for a moment, Helen swore she saw a face in it. A face which looked familiar...

The girl shook her head and disappeared into the hole.

* * *

The Man in the Moon kept in contact with the Guardians; he told them of the moon beams that came and went, travelling to and from the moon in an effort to track down Pitch's lair and find Helen. But each time one returned, it would shake its head in sorrow; it had found nothing.

"This is getting serious, Manny," said North. He had chosen to stay behind in order to keep an eye on things, while the other Guardians joined the moonbeams in their search for Helen. He had heard nothing from them. "There is still no sign of her."

"This is worrying, indeed," the Man in the Moon agreed. Through his mirror he looked over at Helen's family; Bernadette was sat down with her arms around Jamie and Sophie, comforting the two children as they slept. Abby was sleeping beside them with Lowell stroking the dog's head.

Finally the Man in the Moon's eyes rested upon Jack, who was the furthest away; he was in too much of a state in order to go out looking for Helen. His hood was up and he was staring out the window, at the cold ice and snow outside. A small patch of the window had been covered in frost, and like he had done before, Jack had drawn a picture of Helen into the frost. His fingers were stroking her cheek gently.

North's gaze followed, and he sighed at the sight of the boy. "Jack is taking it hardest of all," he said. "He hasn't had much practice in keeping control over his emotions like we have."

"He really cares about that girl," Manny observed. "Why don't you send him over to me?" North nodded, and walked over to Jack before whispering something in his ear. The boy looked over at the mirror, then at North, who nodded. Jack then stood up and wandered over to the Man in the Moon himself before taking a seat on the floor before him. Manny sent him a comforting smile. "We will find her, Jack. I made a promise."

Jack sighed. "Why was I made a Guardian? I mean, I know _why_, but...do I even deserve it? I couldn't even protect Helen from Pitch. It was _my_ fault she got captured in the first place! What kind of Guardian lets that happen?"

"Easy, Jack." The warm smile was enough to calm the boy down. "You know why I made you a Guardian; you protect children. But all Guardians make mistakes. It is only natural; not all of us are perfect. We just have to learn from them and ensure that we don't make the same ones again."

The boy looked away. "I know. I've made so many mistakes. I just hope I can fix this one. If only I had done something to prevent her from being taken."

"You would not have been able to. As much as it pains me to say this, Jack, this is something which needed to happen."

Jack turned to him, both puzzled and curious. "What do you mean?"

Manny's eyes scanned the room before settling upon Mr. Qwerty, who had made a home for himself upon North's fireplace. "Mr. Qwerty, come here for a moment." The book-like insect acknowledged before taking flight across the room, and settled in Jack's lap; he opened up for the boy on the familiar page of Nightlight flying at Pitch, his dagger aiming at the Nightmare King's heart.

"I've seen this page before," Jack pointed out.

"I know." He gestured for Jack to look back down at the page again. "All Guardians are born with the intention to become who they are meant to be," Manny explained. "Even you, Jack. Nightlight's purpose was to protect me, and later the children of the world. He died doing just that."

Jack sighed. "This recent battle with Pitch would have ended a whole lot sooner if _he_ had been around," the boy commented.

"I cannot disagree with that," said Manny. "You see, only the Guardian of Light has ever possessed the true power in order to defeat Pitch once and for all. Nightlight had such power; he could provide light in the darkest of places, both on the outside and on the in. He could sense darkness and knew how to fight it."

Jack was puzzled. "But I don't understand; if he had the power to truly defeat Pitch, then why wasn't Pitch defeated, you know, 'once and for all'? He came back. Sure, it took him a long time, but he did."

Manny sighed, his eyes looking down at the page of the book. "There was one thing Nightlight lacked; he could provide light in the dark, but he could never _find_ light in the dark. Everyone has light in them somewhere; even Pitch. Nightlight failed to see this when he sacrificed himself. But there is one who I hope can do what he could not. A new Guardian of Light with the power to vanquish the over-reaching darkness 'once and for all'."

Mr. Qwerty turned to the back of his book, and Jack looked at the page which seemed brand new. He gasped when he realized who it was.

"Helen."

She was standing there dressed in the blue clothing he had last seen her in, her dark raven hair flowing over her shoulders. Light was bursting from her like a glowing star.

_Helen's a Guardian?_ Thinking over this, it seemed right. It certainly explained her ability to turn Pitch's black sand into dreamsand, create bursts of light and find it in the darkest places, and most importantly of all, her protective instincts towards her brother and sister. Helen was the nicest person he knew; it made sense that she would be filled with light worthy of the sun itself.

But then he realized something... "So she has to defeat Pitch? How?" _Please __not let her sacrifice herself..._

"That will be up to her to decide."

Jack turned away, worry in his eyes. _I can't lose her... There must be a way for her to do this without having to sacrifice herself..._ He thought of her beautiful face, happy and smiling...and asleep.

_Asleep?_ In his mind, Jack could see her asleep. She looked peaceful, but wherever she was, it was dark. The vision zoomed out...and then Jack opened his eyes, a wide smile spread across his face.

The Man in the Moon smiled as well, as his image began to fade away; he knew his work was done. "Something good?"

Jack nodded. "I've found Helen."


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Rescues

So here's another chapter! A big thank you to all those who have taken the time to review! I really appreciate it!

Not much to say about this chapter, either...other than I hope you enjoy it, and don't forget to review! :D

* * *

"I've never seen you smile before."

Pitch looked up from the locket and turned to his left; Helen was sat there, gazing at him curiously, having woken up from her deep slumber. It touched his heart that she hadn't escaped in the night. "I've smiled before," he informed.

"Those creepy smirks you give everyone to freak them out don't count," she said. He went to correct her...but then had to shrug in agreement. "That smile though... It's genuine. It actually looks good on you."

"I don't know whether to feel complimented or insulted."

Helen laughed. But then she felt the strange – yet familiar – feeling in her stomach, and her smile faded. "Oh, not again."

Pitch gave her a look of confusion. "Is something wrong?"

"Depends," she replied. "Lately my stomach gets this funny feeling whenever there's danger about to happen. And then in my head-" She cut herself off. "Yep. There's the voice in my head."

"Voice in your head? Are you sure you're feeling OK?" Pitch placed a hand on her shoulder, but snatched it back again when it suddenly burnt through to his human skin.

Helen kept her eyes closed as she listened. "Well...that's interesting." She opened her eyes. "It says there's no danger for me. Only you. What could that mean?"

Suddenly there was a loud noise above them, and both Pitch and Helen looked up wildly. There was sudden movement from the entrance; dust and rocks were falling down, and slowly it dawned upon Pitch who was coming.

"Ho...ho...ho!" North appeared in the lair and drew his swords.

It clicked in Helen's mind. "Oh, _that's_ what the voice meant!"

Pitch pushed her down and out of the way before he sent his Nightmares at North, but the man swung his swords from side to side, cutting them down with ease. A tunnel then appeared and out hopped Bunny, who wasted no time in throwing his boomerangs at Pitch; the man ducked to avoid them. Tooth then flew in followed by Sandy, and the former sliced through Nightmares with her wings while the latter took out his dreamsand whips. To top it all off Katherine flew in on Kailash; the goose stomped on the Nightmares which came her way while Katherine sliced them with her dagger.

Helen then felt a cold hand clutch hers, and she turned to see Jack smiling at her. "Jack..."

"It's going to be all right." Jack's hand cupped her cheek. "Just stay down." He then leapt up and joined the battle, blasting ice at the Nightmares which charged at him.

Helen watched as Pitch created a bow and arrow in his hands out of black sand, which he aimed at Sandy. But the Sandman saw it coming and turned quickly, using his whips to smack the weapon from the Boogeyman's hands; both bow and arrow went flying through the air and landed near Helen. Sandy then wrapped a whip around Pitch's wrists and pulled him forwards, before tossing him around the lair like a rag doll. Helen winced painfully with every crash.

Finally Pitch was dropped and he landed painfully, before struggling to get up. "I can only wonder what the parents would have done to me..."

"We thought we'd be merciful and leave them behind," said North.

Jack strode forwards, staff pointing at Pitch. "_I_ don't want to be."

Pitch backed away against the wall, and Helen gasped when she noticed the fear in his eyes. _I can't let this happen_. She spied the bow and arrow still on the floor and grabbed them; they turned from black to golden with her touch, and for a moment, Helen was mesmerized by the change.

Jack held his staff at Pitch's throat, ready to kill him. "You made a big mistake when you took her. And you're going to pay for it." Behind him there was anger in the faces of the other Guardians, and Pitch knew that this was his end.

Suddenly a streak of gold flashed between Jack and Pitch, knocking Jack's staff away; it was an arrow, and it landed in the wall before disappearing into thin air. All eyes turned to see where it had come from...and everyone was shocked to see Helen wielding the bow, taking in deep breaths.

"Helen?" Jack gasped. "What are you doing?"

Helen walked towards him and gently moved him aside, standing herself between the Guardians and Pitch. "Guys, I know this is not going to go down well, but...you can't kill him."

They exchanged glances. "And why not?" asked Jack. "Helen, he _kidnapped_ you! _And_ tried to hurt you!"

"He didn't try to hurt me while I was here." She took a hold of Jack's wrist, squeezing it gently. "I may not know all of you personally – heck, I've only known you all for a few days – but there is _one_ thing I'm certain of. You may be Guardians, sworn to protect the children of the world...but you're not killers. And even though Pitch has done bad things in his life, he doesn't deserve to die. Not like this. It's wrong."

"She's right." Katherine stepped forwards. "Remember we almost lost ourselves once before in thinking that Pitch needed to die. He didn't choose this life; and sometimes even the worst of villains need mercy."

"We _did_ give him mercy," said Bunny. "Like North said; we didn't bring along Helen's parents. _That_ would have been cruel."

Helen shrugged in agreement. "And on top of it all...well...he's still my father."

Behind her, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, Pitch smiled. It was small, but on a face which had only ever shown cruelty and malice for years, it stood out like a single red speck in a sea of blue. Jack noticed this. "All right." The other Guardians lowered their weapons.

Pitch decided to use the opportunity to escape...but he didn't want to escape alone.

He reached out to grab Helen, but Jack was faster and immediately pushed her behind him, grabbing his staff from where it had been knocked and once again holding it up towards the Nightmare King. The other Guardians did the same with their own weapons.

Pitch began to back away. He knew he could fight them all in the present moment of time; he wasn't strong enough. After giving Helen one last painful look he called upon Onyx, who materialized next to him. Pitch hopped on and galloped away, the Guardians giving chase, until the Boogeyman disappeared into the shadows. He didn't appear again.

The Guardians panted for breath, keeping their weapons in hand should Pitch try and jump them.

"He'll be back," said North. "He always is." He led the other Guardians back to where Jack and Helen still stood. "We cannot let guard down this time. Helen and family must be guarded 24/7; we will take it in turns to do so."

The other Guardians nodded in agreement. They turned to see what Helen would say...but she was looking down at her feet, avoiding eye contact with all of them.

"Are you OK, Helen?" Jack asked. He placed a comforting hand upon her shoulder.

Helen just remained staring at the floor, before she brushed his hand aside. "Yeah. I'm fine."

* * *

The Bennett family waited back at North's workshop, all of them fidgeting impatiently, until finally the Guardians appeared from the sleigh room with Helen in tow. The family all immediately ran up to Helen with relief.

"Helen!" Jamie and Sophie hugged their sister tightly, and the girl found herself smiling as she hugged them back. "We missed you!" Abby barked happily, running circles around them.

When they let go Helen was brought into an even tighter hug by her parents.

"We're so glad you're OK."

"We were so worried."

Helen hugged them back, but she couldn't help but be reminded of the other father who had been forced to flee without his daughter...

After pulling away, Bernadette asked, "What happened to Pitch?"

"He got away," Jack replied. He twirled his staff in his hand before allowing it to rest on his shoulder. "We would have finished him off, but Helen stopped us."

Both her adoptive parents gave the girl looks of shock.

"It was the right thing to do," she reasoned. "He didn't hurt me, and killing him would have made them no worse...than he was." It hurt her to say the last part, but her parents wouldn't have understood otherwise.

Jamie looked at Helen, then at his parents, and then at the Guardians. "Does this mean we're not going back home? If Pitch is still out there?"

"You _are_, but we'll be keeping a very close eye on you all," said Tooth. "Closer than last time, anyway."

"With the parents around, I doubt Pitch would even want to get _close_," said Bunny.

As the discussion continued Jack noticed Helen disappear from the room. He looked between the Guardians, then back at Helen, before deciding that his friend was more important. He followed after her through the workshop, passing yetis and elves alike, and it wasn't long before he realized that she was just walking in circles with no particular aim of where to go.

Jack quickly caught up with her and stood before her, holding out a hand to stop her. It made contact with her shoulder. "Helen. Do you know where you're going?"

Helen didn't make eye contact with him. "No. I'm just wandering."

Looking around him to make sure no one else was listening, Jack led Helen over to a worktop and hopped up onto it, pulling her up with him. He sighed, trying to get his words together; he needed to ask this right. "Helen...what happened when you were...with him?"

For a long time, Helen didn't answer. She would just keep her eyes averted to the ground, picking at her fingernails like she usually did when she was either nervous or trying to figure out what to say. Jack found himself staring out the window at the barren landscape of snow, and he almost jumped when Helen finally spoke.

"At first I was trapped in his lair," she began. "I couldn't escape, no matter how hard I tried. It was like a fun-house, only darker and creepier. He said people only escaped if he wanted them too. But I wouldn't be broken; I tried to fight him. He said he wouldn't hurt me...but then he tried to turn me into his Nightmare Princess."

Jack's fists clenched. "I could kill him."

Helen placed her hand on his, easing him. "He told me it would be painless. Whether that was true or not, I don't know. I refused to cooperate. I fought off his advances until he finally gave up and left me in the dark." At this, she smiled. "I started to sing to pass the time – and wind him up."

Her friend had to smile at that.

She sighed before continuing. "He came back again and tried to convince me to turn. Then we got into the father/daughter boyfriend argument."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "The father/daughter boyfriend argument?"

"You know what I mean," she said. "When the father doesn't approve of the boyfriend and gets into an argument with the daughter about it. He made it clear how much he doesn't like you. I thought he was going to explode when he found out you were attracted to me." She laughed a little, but then her expression changed again. "Then I called him out on his actions. I told him that what he was trying to do was not how a father should act."

"What happened then?"

"Some time later I tricked him into letting one of his Nightmares close," she replied. "I leapt on it and changed it to dreamsand before escaping from the lair. He gave chase. I was able to lose him, but...I took a wrong turn and ended up dangling over a cliff."

Jack's eyes widened. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah. It worked out for the best actually, because...that's when everything changed. The moment he saw me in danger... He tried to calm me down, promising he wouldn't let me fall. You should have seen him; he looked so worried, and so...scared."

"_Pitch?_ Scared?"

Helen didn't respond to him, instead choosing to continue. "He told me to stare the drop below me right in the face and tell it I wasn't afraid. I did...and it actually calmed me down. Enough so I could focus on getting to safety...but then the tree I was on broke." Jack's eyes widened. "Don't worry, I didn't die. Obviously. He...he leapt over the cliff in order to catch me."

Jack held up a hand. "OK, so let me get this straight. Pitch – the Nightmare King – actually _leapt off a cliff_ in order to _save_ you?"

She nodded. "When he had hold of me he was able to grab a branch and hold on. I was burning him...but he didn't care. One of his Nightmares came and was able to get us to safety. But that experience... It proved that no matter who he is and what he does, he _does_ care. I didn't think he cared before...but what happened changed my mind. And I discovered what really happened when he turned."

"Which was?"

"He thought my sister was trapped with the shadows in their prison," Helen explained. "He heard her voice; it was the shadows playing tricks on him, but like every father would, he had to make sure it wasn't her. His desire to keep his children safe was what destroyed him – a desire which is still there, deep down." She bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears forming in her eyes. "I know you probably don't believe me, Jack. _I_ wouldn't have believed me before all this happened. But under all that darkness and shadows, there's light in him. A father who still loves his children."

Jack didn't know what to say. Helen had never spoken this way before...and it made him believe her. He had also seen the smile on Pitch's face when Helen had prevented his death; it was not a smile he'd expected to see on the face of the Nightmare King.

Slipping a hand into his pocket, Jack felt the gift he'd made for Helen, only then remembering it. He took it out. "I almost forget. I know it's late, but... Merry Christmas."

When he handed it over, Helen gasped at the little necklace seemingly made of ice. "It's beautiful," she said. "But won't it melt?"

"It's made from North's special ice," Jack explained. "The type which he uses to design his toys; it doesn't melt." Before she could take it, he took both ends of the chain between his fingers and held it up. "Here, let me put it on you."

Helen turned her head, and very slowly, Jack placed the necklace around her neck so the snowflake charm was resting upon her chest. After securing it in place Jack found himself running his fingers through her hair, but quickly pulled away again when he remembered what she'd said about moving too fast – but then again, he'd been able to find her... "I was able to find you again. The same way as before."

She turned back to him and gave him a smile. "Well, maybe you're not the only one who's attracted."

Jack smiled back...and the moment would have continued if Tooth hadn't suddenly shown up, worry written across her face. "Jack! Helen!"

"Tooth?" Jack questioned. He and Helen leapt down off the worktop. "What's wrong?"

"Come and see for yourself." She led them through the workshop and over to the globe; they leaned over the railings and saw what she was referring to.

The many lights across the globe were flashing on and off. Below, the Guardians and the other Bennetts had gathered to watch as well, all looking uncertain and slightly afraid. Lowell and Bernadette had Jamie and Sophie held behind them. Tooth flew down to join them, and taking Helen's hands in his own, Jack did the same. He made sure she landed carefully next to her family.

"Is it Pitch?" he asked North.

Bunny rolled his eyes. "Who else would it be, mate?"

Then streams of black sand began to rise in front of the globe, climbing and twisting until...the figure of Pitch was formed. But it wasn't actually him; it was a figure of black sand, almost like a shadow. It laughed. All the Guardians held their weapons at the ready.

The black sand-Pitch raised his hands up in defence. "Now, now, I haven't come to pick a fight. I'm only bringing a message. A proposal of a truce, so to speak."

The Guardians exchanged glances before they lowered their weapons. "We're listening," said North.

"Good." The shadow began to pace from side to side. "It's very simple, really. All you have to do is hand over my daughter."

Jack immediately leapt in front of Helen, holding her behind him. "And why would we do that?!"

"Because if you give me my daughter, that will be the end of it; I'll disappear, and there'll be no more fights, and no more Nightmares. The children will be safe from me forever. But if you don't...not only will the children continue to get Nightmares, but I will find you all...and I _will kill you all_."


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Mother Nature

Another chapter for another story. ;) A big thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter!

So as the title says, Mother Nature will make an appearance. Those of you who have read the books will notice that her design is different in this story. Basically I'm following what the movie has done; updating her look so she (sort of) fits more into the modern era. And to make her look cooler. ;D I hope people like her.

I hope you all enjoy and don't forget to review!

* * *

When the black sand disappeared into nothing, everyone just stared at the empty space in silence. This silence was broken by Helen letting out a sigh.

"I suppose I better go and pack." She turned to walk away. "My new Daddy won't be happy if I'm late."

Jack immediately grabbed her shoulder and spun her back round to face him. "If you think you're going with him-"

"Well, it's not like I have a choice," she pointed out. "You heard him. He'll keep giving the kids Nightmares _and_ he's going to come and kill you all."

"Let him _try_." North held his swords firmly in his hands.

"He's right," agreed Bunny. "Pitch is no match for us all. He's weak; if he has believers, they're few and far between."

"That might not matter," Lowell spoke up. "If there's one thing I know about parenthood, it's that when a kid's in danger or threatened, a parent will do _anything_ to protect their child and get them back. Parents who do this can overcome things they would usually have difficulty with, and can achieve almost impossible goals. That's why a parent protecting their child can be _very_ dangerous."

Bernadette nodded in agreement. "Sure, in our eyes, Helen is safe. But in Pitch's eyes, his daughter is in the hands of the enemy."

"Does he even _care_ about her?" asked Bunny.

"Yes, he does." Everyone turned to Helen. She continued, "I tried escaping from him yesterday and ended up falling off a cliff. Pitch _leapt after me_ and stopped me from falling. If that doesn't say something... There's just so much strength in him, and not physical strength. Inner strength. It's what fear gives people: Strength."

North looked curious about this while Jack laid both his hands on Helen's shoulders and held her firmly in his grip, turning her to face him. "But Helen, you can't just...go with him. Are you really going to live in his lair for the rest of your life? Because that's not a life. That's a prison. And you don't deserve that."

Helen knew he was right. She couldn't live with Pitch in his lair for the rest of her life. It wasn't exactly built to house her, and knowing the Guardians – and knowing Jack – it wouldn't be long before they attempted a rescue. Only for her to be taken by Pitch again. And then rescued again. It would just go back and forwards until something had to give, and despite what Lowell said, Pitch was outnumbered and would most likely be the first to fall. She didn't want that to happen to him; he didn't deserve it.

She sighed. "Fine. But if you're going to confront him, do me a favour and _please_ don't kill him. He's had it bad over the years. Maybe...try and work something out with him."

"We'll try," said Katherine.

"But it may not be an option," said Bunny.

Jack pulled away from Helen, and for a few moments, he just stared into her eyes. Helen thought he might decide to kiss her – it certainly looked like it from what she could tell – but then he broke her gaze and held his staff firmly in his hands. "All right. Let's go."

The other Guardians nodded before they made their way towards the sleigh room. Jack looked one last time over his shoulder at Helen, before he too disappeared. Helen watched them go, unable to do anything to stop them, and found herself looking down at her feet sadly.

Behind her Bernadette was about to walk over to her, but Lowell stopped her. "She needs...time," he said. "Her Boogeyman father who apparently cares about her is about to be confronted by childhood Guardians – among them her maybe boyfriend – which could possibly end in his death."

Bernadette raised an eyebrow. "Never thought I'd ever hear you say that. It's one sentence where you really need to know the context of the situation."

As the parents continued to chat, Sophie saw and elf and began to chase it around the room, trying to grab the bell on top of its hat. Jamie took off after her, trying to tell her to leave the poor elf alone, while Abby just barked and followed. Seeing as everyone was distracted, Helen decided it was a good opportunity to sneak away and have some time to herself, so she could think about everything that had happened and...come to terms with it.

On her way out she spotted a table full of small snow globes, similar to North's. She remembered how the man had pointed them out to her at some point during the adventure; they were smaller, and could fit in pockets easier. After a thought, Helen grabbed one from the worktop and hurried out before anyone realized she was leaving.

Helen found herself wandering outside in the cold, but it didn't bother her like it had done before. She had come to like the cold...and the one who brought it. Looking at the globe, she thought about Jack and the other Guardians. _They're only trying to help..._ But she knew that this could lead to Pitch's death. Pitch wouldn't accept anything less than her return to him. And if he tried to go near her again, the Guardians wouldn't hesitate to kill him.

The girl raised the globe, ready to throw it into the snow and open a portal...but she hesitated. _What would I do?_ She lowered her hand and looked down at the globe again. There was nothing she _could_ do. _Pitch said I could leave whenever I wanted...but he thinks I've been taken by the Guardians..._ And it was like her adoptive father said; a parent trying to get their child back is dangerous.

She found herself collapsing into the snow hopelessly, and with tears beginning to form in her eyes, she looked up at the full moon above her. It was gazing down at her with that face it always wore, and an instinctive part of Helen knew that the Man in the Moon was watching her. "Look, I know Pitch is a villain, and he's done some bad things in the past. But does he really deserve to die?"

The moon was silent. Like it always was. Helen sighed and looked down at her feet. "I need help."

No sooner had she said this a wind began to blow, and Helen looked up at the strange occurrence to see that the wind around her was...unusually coloured. It was both brown, white, green, blue and orange, and on top of that, it was _glowing_. Helen got to her feet to watch as the strand of wind blew around her, before coming to a stop several feet in front of her.

Then it did something strange. It began to turn solid, and after a few moments Helen realized that it was forming the figure of a person – a woman, to be more specific. The woman's eyes were closed when she finally became clear, and Helen beheld the sight of her; her skin was chocolate coloured, and the clothes she wore were made of natural resources. Green leaves covered her upper body with small rocks holding them in place, and her skirt was made of...water?

Helen's eyes widened. Actual, flowing water hung around her waist like a skirt, and remained in place with nothing but a belt of pebbles secured at the top. What was also shocking was the bracelets on her wrists and the necklace around her neck were made of _living fire_. Her feet were bare, and the woman held a spear in her hand made of wood and stone. Her hair was of a variety of colours; different strands were green, blue, white and orange...and when she opened her eyes, instead of one colour, they were four; green, blue, brown and orange.

Helen beheld the woman for a few moments, unsure what to make of her, before taking a cautious step forwards. "Who...who are you?" she dared to ask.

"I am known by many names throughout the world, but most know me as Mother Nature," said the woman. "I am known by your friends as the Guardian of Life. But you...you know me as someone else."

The girl moved in closer, and as she did, she realized that the face of the woman looked...familiar to her. It was a face from long ago...in a memory she had become all too familiar with in the days that had passed. Helen's eyes widened when she realized who was stood before her.

"Eartha?"

The woman smiled. "Yes. I'm your sister."

A hand went to Helen's head as she took a step back, unable to believe what she was seeing and hearing. She had been uncertain of the fate which had befallen her sister after the attack on the _Moon Clipper_. After all, the last time Helen had seen her, Eartha had been floating towards the window while being engulfed by a green light. But there she was, standing before her...as a Guardian.

"You're...you're alive..." Helen gasped. "I had no idea that you were... But Pitch doesn't know? Our father?"

Eartha looked down sadly. "I couldn't tell him. It would have steered him away from his duty. I forgave him for what he did a long time ago, but he still has yet to forgive himself."

Helen could agree with her on that. Then another question arose. "But how did you become this? You look nothing like you did in my memory. And how did you get these...powers?" She gestured to her sister.

"Sometimes a transformation requires a change in looks," said Eartha. "And I got my powers the same way you got yours."

"The same way I got..._my_ powers?" Helen repeated. "But how did that happen?"

Her sister sighed. "When Pitch attacked the _Moon Clipper_, our mother was determined not to let him get to us. She was willing to die in order to protect her daughters. And that's what she did. But a mother's love is one of the most powerful things in the universe, and her sacrifice gave birth to a power which split in two. One half entered me, and the other half entered you."

Helen began to understand. "So these powers..."

"Mine was mothership, and life," Eartha continued. "It gave me the power to give birth to life on this planet, and that's what I did. I helped it evolve, raised the life as my own, and cared for it over the many years that followed. I influenced it. Every life you see around you is under my care." She turned to Helen. "And your power, Helenka...is love."

"Love?" Helen gave her sister a questioning look. "But what's that got to do with light?"

"Everything," said her sister. "You can find the light in everything; every situation, and every being. Even in a being as dark as Pitch Black. But the light you find is a powerful type of light – the light _is_ love."

Helen took a step back; all of this was a lot to take in... "And what about that strange stomach ache I get which senses danger? And that weird voice in my head which keeps telling me to run?"

"It is your powers talking, and it tells you to run because it knows you are not ready," said Eartha. "Your powers are warning you of an approaching darkness, and with practice you will be able to face that darkness and find the light within it – find the _love_ within it."

The girl looked down at her hands, where everything had started; it felt like so long ago, when Pitch had attacked and she'd fought back with her hands which had burnt him. "Why come to me now?"

Eartha smiled. "Because I feel you need help finding your way." Her expression then became serious. "I fear the Guardians will kill Pitch; he wants you back so badly that he'll leave them no choice. But you are the only one who can truly defeat him."

"Me?" she questioned. "Kill Pitch? Kill my own father?"

"Defeat doesn't always mean death," said her sister. "You can defeat an enemy in many different ways. It'll be up to you to decide which way you choose."

Helen sighed. "I never asked for this."

"No one ever asks for a responsibility as great as ours." Eartha nodded in understanding. "A Guardian is chosen not because they asked, but because they show a quality which makes them worthy of their duty." She stepped forwards and raised a hand up to Helen, stroking her cheek tenderly; even though the fire bracelet was inches away from the girl's face, Helen couldn't even _feel_ the heat. "I've watched you grow... You've become an extraordinary girl, Helenka. If anyone deserves the title of Guardian, it's you."

Helen smiled as the hand was taken back. "Thanks...sis." Eartha smiled back.

"I must go now," said Eartha, and her body began to transform into the wind again even as she spoke. "From now on, it's up to you. But I'll always be watching over you. And our father. I always have...and I always will." And with that, she was gone.

For a few moments Helen just stood staring at the empty space where her sister had been, part of her hoping she would come back. But when she saw the familiar face of her sister in the clouds below the full moon – just like she had seen that night after her talk with Pitch – Helen knew what she had to do.

She raised the snow globe up to her lips with determination and spoke, "Take me to my father."


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Birth of a Guardian

Thanks for all the reviews, guys!

So this is a big chapter; not in length, but in what happens. I won't say anymore than that, other than pay close attention, hope you enjoy, and don't forget to review. :D

* * *

The sleigh landed in the woods outside _Burgess_, in the same clearing as the hole leading to Pitch's lair, and the Guardians disembarked with their weapons held at the ready. No sooner had they landed a shadow emerged from the hole, and Pitch appeared with some Nightmares behind him.

"Well, I see you all saved me the trouble of hunting you down," said the Boogeyman. His face darkened. "I came out to either retrieve my daughter or strike you down – _and I don't see my daughter._"

The Guardians lowered their weapons. "Pitch, nothing would make us happier than to get rid of you once and for all," said Tooth. "Lucky for you, though, Helen asked us not to."

Pitch's expression changed. "She did?"

"She claims that you don't deserve it," said Katherine. "So instead we came here to reason with you."

"Of course, if you don't agree with what we're about to say..." Bunny pointed a boomerang at the Nightmare King in a threatening manner.

Pitch chuckled. "Funny. I'm the one being forced into agreements while Helenka is _my_ daughter and you _took her from me_."

"Her name is _Helen_," Jack told him, "and we rescued her. _You_ were the one who kidnapped her in the first place!"

"Maybe at first, but I gave her a choice to stay or leave, and she chose to stay!" Pitch yelled at him.

The Guardians were taken aback by this, especially Jack. "She...didn't tell me that." Although considering what she'd told him earlier about Pitch saving her life, he wasn't completely surprised.

"So you see?" Pitch continued. "She _chose_ to stay. And taking her away from me _is_ kidnapping since she was here by choice."

"That does not change anything." North stepped forwards. "You forget she still has family. Two parents, two siblings; she's been with them her entire life. She's not going to abandon them for you, no matter what she thinks of you."

Pitch's anger appeared to die, and he took a step back. "I understand. She's very protective over her siblings. She gets that from me, you know." He chuckled. "So maybe we can make some sort of arrangement? An agreement, so to speak? I hear that's what parents do when they want to split up, in regards to what happens to the children."

"Yeah," said Jack. He eyed Pitch suspiciously, unsure where the Nightmare King was going with this. "Helen said that's what her parents did when they split up; she lived with her father while the other two lived with the mother."

"Maybe not that permanent, although it's a nice thought." Pitch turned to think. "Perhaps a week with them and a week with me? Or different weekends? Maybe she can spend Christmas with me every other year." North's hands tightened around his swords at the mention of his holiday. "I don't know. I guess I really need to discuss this with the other parents. Perhaps you can bring me back with you?" Looking over at the sleigh, he added, "But let's not take the sleigh. You drive like a maniac."

"You really think it's that simple, don't you?" said Bunny.

Jack stepped forwards, holding his staff at the ready. "You killed Helen's mother, tried to turn her and her sister into Nightmare Princesses, you almost killed Jamie _twice_, then _kidnapped_ him, then you kidnapped _Helen_ twice... Do you really think we're gonna let Helen stay with you after you've done all those things? Because you can down right think again." He then lowered his staff. "I know this sounds harsh, and I know how it feels to be alone...but you need to think about what's best for Helen."

Pitch stepped back, and no matter how mad he wanted to be with the Guardians...he knew they were right. What Jack had said was everything that had been eating away at him ever since he rescued Helen and had realized the extent of what he'd done, and what he'd become. He hung his head, his eyes closed as he let out a sigh of defeat.

"That's right," Bunny observed. He hopped forwards to stand next to Jack. "And you stay away from her from now on. The last thing that kid needs is a bad father who can't even _care_ for her properly."

Pitch's eyes snapped open, and when he raised his head, the glare that was spread across the length of his face reminded the Guardians just why this guy was called the King of Nightmares. He disappeared into the shadows and reappeared behind Bunny; the Pooka spun round, only then realizing that the blow he made was a _big_ mistake.

"I may be the Boogeyman, and I may be cursed to scare kids for eternity, but I've had more experience raising kids than _you_ have; heck, before that little blonde _brat_ came along you had no idea what childcare _was_."

"Brat?!" Now Bunny was mad and flung a boomerang at Pitch. But the Boogeyman disappeared back into the shadows and reappeared in front of them all again.

More Nightmares appeared behind him, snorting in anger. "I'm the first to admit that I've made mistakes. Many mistakes. But it is _you_ who have made the mistake today; don't you _ever_ say I'm a bad father, and don't you _ever_ think I can't care for her. Because in case you've all forgotten...many worlds were reduced to ruins when they tried to _keep my daughters from me_."

The Nightmares rose up behind him like a tsunami, and the Guardians barely had any time to draw their weapons before they were surrounded by the dark horses. Pitch mounted Onyx and observed the battle, waiting for the right moment to join in and release the fury that was building up inside him.

Katherine, who had come without Kailash, fought off the Nightmares with her dagger while also kicking and punching others as there were so many. When two Nightmares came at her at once, one either side of her, she back-flipped over the one behind her, her hands on its back, and hopped off before the two Nightmares collided into one another.

North slashed through countless Nightmares with his swords. Then seeing some Nightmares tormenting his reindeer, North hurried over and cut the reindeer loose. "Go, moi deti!" The reindeer broke free, but instead of running away they lowered their antlers and charged at the Nightmares, cutting through them effortlessly and tossing them aside. They bucked and kicked them, and North laughed as he joined his reindeer in the fight.

Tooth cut through Nightmares with her wings, but as this began to take the energy out of her, she called upon her fairies for assistance. Dozens of them arrived to help, and Baby Tooth was struggling to carry something Tooth hadn't used in a long time; a sheath which contained two subtle swords, which she hadn't seen since the battle against Pitch during the Dark Ages. With a smile at the smaller fairy, Tooth fastened the sheath around her waist and drew the swords. "Wings up, ladies, and take no prisoners!" She charged at the Nightmares, her small army of fairies behind her.

Sandy had formed a small cloud of dreamsand above the battle, and with to dreamsand whips in hand, he was plucking Nightmares by the dozen and throwing them around like rag dolls, turning them into dreams as he did. Stingrays, dolphins, unicorns; all joined the battle after their change, targeting the Nightmares and spreading the dreamsand in an effort to overwhelm them. As he worked Sandy kept an eye on Pitch, should the Nightmare King try and pull the same trick as last time.

But Pitch wasn't focussed on the Sandman. He was focussed on Bunny.

The Pooka was tossing his boomerangs left and right, cutting up countless Nightmares in a matter of seconds; the flying boomerangs were being thrown and caught so quickly it was a wonder how Bunny was able to keep up. Then, when he had time, he would toss a couple of eggs at the Nightmares, causing them to explode on contact. He was so busy fighting that he didn't notice Pitch watching him, and by the time he realized it was already too late.

Pitch charged on Onyx towards the Pooka, and plucked him from the ground before tossing him into the air. Bunny cried out in terror, and when some of the Nightmares sensed his fear, they gave him their full attention. As Bunny fell he tossed his boomerangs at them, followed by many eggs, and was able to take them out before he landed hard on the ground. He groaned from the pain as he tried to pick himself up.

But then Pitch was before him, glaring down at him in a way Bunny had never seen before. The Boogeyman dismounted from Onyx and gave Bunny a kick; still shaken from the fall, the Pooka fell easily.

"You crossed the line, rabbit," said Pitch. "And you're going to pay for it." Another Nightmare appeared by his side and closed in on Bunny.

But that same Nightmare was suddenly frozen solid, and Pitch swung round to see Jack charging towards him with his staff raised. Pitch brought up a shield of black sand as Jack blasted again, and was able to shrink into the shadows to escape. Bunny took the opportunity to pick himself up and leap back into the fray; he knew Jack would be able to handle Pitch.

When Pitch appeared again Jack blasted another sheet of ice at him, and Pitch once again brought up more black sand to shield himself. "You need to stop this _now!_" Jack yelled.

"No! You of _all people_ should know why I can't, Frost!" Pitch appeared again, and Jack leapt up into the air before blasting more ice at the Nightmare King. Pitch raised a high wall of black sand, which froze solid before it exploded from the pressure. "For years I've been in the shadows, being ignored and hated!" Jack turned and saw him again, but this time only held up his staff in warning. "You were the same once. But you found a family...so why can't I?"

Jack kept his guard up. "Because it's like I said; do you really deserve it? After all you've done? Helen's had it rough. Her parents divorced, and she went through lengths to try and get them back together again. All she's ever wanted is a family who love each other; she doesn't need you making things worse."

Pitch's face darkened, before he launched himself into the air and shot a tidal wave of black sand at Jack. The boy leapt up also and tried to block the sand with a blast of ice...but the anger in Pitch made the sand blast stronger, and Jack was pushed backwards with a cry of shock before he landed hard on the ground. His staff was torn from his grasp and landed too far away for him to immediately grab.

The other Guardians saw what happened and looked on in horror. "Jack!" North exclaimed. He began to fiercely cut through the surrounding hoard of Nightmares in an attempt to get to the boy, but there were too many.

Pitch lowered himself back down again and glared at Jack. "I also found out that you're...attracted to my daughter. Are you aware of what a father does to a boy who _likes_ his daughter in that way?"

This was the scene Helen saw when she hurried out of the portal and appeared at the edge of the clearing. The Guardians were fighting off hoards of Nightmares, while North was trying desperately to get to Jack. "Jack..." Seeing Jack lying on the ground, his staff out of reach, and Pitch standing over him with a crazy and angry expression on his face, Helen knew what she had to do.

Sandy was able to get to Pitch before North could, but then Pitch turned on him with a familiar bow and arrow in his hands, aiming for Sandy. "I wouldn't, little man."

With Pitch distracted, Jack was able to scramble for his staff and blasted ice at Pitch. The Nightmare King stumbled from the blast, dropping the bow and the arrow in the process; Helen grabbed both as she ran onto the scene.

Pitch shrunk back into the shadows, and as Jack spun around to look for him, Pitch reappeared behind the boy with his deadly scythe in hand, ready to swing it at him. But he never got the chance.

Just as Jack turned to see him, a golden arrow flew in between them, smashing through the scythe and turning it to dreamsand, causing it to disintegrate. The golden arrow then turned in the air and flew towards Pitch, who ducked to avoid it and fell backwards in the snow. Jack was about to step forwards and finish to job, but someone else beat him to it and stood above Pitch, just as the arrow came back and landed in her hand.

Helen instantly placed the arrow in the bow again and aimed it at Pitch, whose expression changed from anger to horror at the sight of his daughter holding an arrow to him – a golden arrow at that, which would no doubt destroy him.

The fighting around them stopped, and everyone held their breaths as they waited to see what Helen would do.

She kept the arrow aimed at Pitch, and her eyes narrowed as she watched her father carefully. Before he had kidnapped her, she would have let the arrow go without hesitation. But she was reminded of how Pitch had saved her from falling...how scared he'd been...and how relieved he'd been when she was safe. She remembered what he'd told her, about how he had become Pitch Black in the first place...how he still cared about her and her sister, even though he had no idea Eartha was still alive...

She knew she had to defeat him. Her inner subconscious told her so. But it was like her sister said: _Defeat doesn't always mean death. You can defeat an enemy in many different ways. It'll be up to you to decide which way you choose_.

Pitch didn't deserve to die, no matter what he'd done before. And even if he did...Helen couldn't kill him. She didn't know what other way there was in order to defeat him...but she couldn't kill him.

She slowly lowered the bow and arrow, her brown eyes still fixed upon him to see what he'd do. Pitch at first looked surprised by her move, as did the other Guardians around her, but as it slowly sunk in that she wasn't going to kill him...Pitch found himself smiling, his anger evaporating into nothing. Helen smiled back.

But the sight of Helen standing over a defenceless Pitch was enough for the Nightmares to conclude that their master was in danger, and the girl with the golden bow and arrow was the threat they needed to remove.

Before Helen realized what was happening the Nightmares – led by Onyx – surrounded her, and consumed her in a whirlwind of black sand.

"NO!" Both Jack and Pitch cried out the same word at the same time, and while Jack tried to blast aside Nightmares with his staff Pitch leapt at the hoard and tried to rip them apart _with his bare hands_. The other Guardians joined in, trying to break apart the Nightmares to no avail.

"No, no, no, no..." Jack muttered over and over. _I can't lose her, I can't lose her..._

The sudden attack – along with the fear that consumed Pitch and the Guardians – caused the Nightmares to grow in size, until they formed one giant Nightmare in the centre of the clearing. It whinnied loudly, its snorts creating a big enough wind to cause the Guardians to stumble.

"Did you know they could do that?" Jack asked Pitch.

The Nightmare King shook his head, but he was too caught up in his fear for Helen to say anything.

His fear was obviously the strongest out of all of them, for the giant Nightmare turned its attention on _him_ first. It snorted, and began to slowly make its way towards him. The Guardians, for once, actually looked ready to _defend_ Pitch.

That was when it happened.

A golden arrow suddenly shot out from the top of the Nightmare, leaving a golden wound in its head which began to spread across its body. The Nightmare let out painful cries as the dreamsand overwhelmed it, and the golden arrow above soared past Pitch and the Guardians – revealing that it was no longer made of sand, but of light brown, almost golden wood. The dreamsand began to disintegrate, slowly falling away until a figure was revealed hovering in the centre, her head down and her eyes closed.

Whoever it was wore all white; a white skirt which came to above her knees, white boots made of a fluffy cloud-like substance, and a white top which didn't have a back – but only because of the large wings sticking out of her back, which were covered in blonde hair instead of feathers. Golden arm guards rested on her lower arms, and in one hand she held a bow which was made of the same light brown wood as the arrow. Her hair was blonde and tied up in a loose plait, with some strands of hair hanging out at the front, and a golden headband was tied around her forehead.

Jack cautiously stepped forwards towards her...and when he saw the familiar ice necklace around her neck, he realized who it was. "Helen?"

Helen looked up and opened her eyes...revealing them to have turned from brown to blue.


	20. Epilogue: Guardian of Light

So...LAST CHAPTER! :D

A really, really, REALLY big thank you to all those who have reviewed! I really, really appreciate it. We passed 200! I'd also like to thank two artists on dA for drawing fanart for this story (the second is recent; just search for 'Helenka Pitchiner'); both were awesome. And finally, I'd like to thank a good friend of mine for not only being a great friend throughout this story, from first to final draft, but for also making the recommendation on TV Tropes. Seriously, you rock.

There probably won't be a sequel to this (I have a thing against making sequels if one isn't needed), but I'm still writing my other two stories; _Lullabies_ and _Protectors_ (I really need to update that last one...).

Hopefully this epilogue should tie everything together. If anyone still has any questions, just say so in your reviews! I hope you all enjoy this last chapter, and don't forget to review! :D

Oh, and one final note...please excuse the cheesy ending. *cringes*

* * *

Helen hadn't been sure what happened. One moment she was in the dark, and then the next, her entire being was glowing and she was firing an arrow into the darkness above her. She closed her eyes in order to shield herself...and when she opened them, the Guardians were staring at her with looks of shock.

"What?" she asked them. "What's wrong?"

The arrow she fired came back to her, and Helen instinctively held up her hand to catch it. She did so without effort, and when she looked down at it, she realized it was no longer made of dreamsand, but of wood. Just like the bow that was in her other hand. But while looking down at them she realized she was wearing golden arm guards and her jumper was gone.

"I have...new accessories?" she asked.

The other Guardians made their way towards her. "That's not all what's new," said Jack.

Helen gasped when she looked down at her feet and found a new pair of white boot covering them, along with a white skirt hanging down from her waist. The white top she wore was loose, and Helen could feel a cool breeze on her back. "Is this one of those tops with no back..." But as she raised her hands to check, they came in contact with something she didn't expect at all.

The bow and arrow dropped to the ground when she felt the wings.

They were large, and feeling them Helen saw how they were covered in blonde hair instead of the usual feathers. "But why _blonde_ hair? My hair's..." She trailed off when a loose strand of hair fell across her eyes, and she grabbed it with a gasp. She felt the plait behind and also the headband. "I've...I've changed. Is there anything else I missed?"

North held out one of his swords, and Helen looked at her reflection...to see that her eyes were blue.

She stepped back, eyes wide, unable to believe what had happened to her. "But...how...when..."

"The transformation usually changes you," said Tooth. "I guess when you refused to kill Pitch, Manny though you deserved to be...well..."

"Guardian," North finished.

Nearby a portal opened, and out came Phil carrying a large book, followed by the Bennetts; they looked around wildly before spotting the Guardians. They hurried over...but froze when they saw Helen.

"Oh my..." Bernadette gasped. Lowell ran a hand through his hair.

"Whoa..." Jamie slowly approached his sister, looking her up and down. "What happened to you, sis? You look...awesome."

Sophie ran up to her as well. "Hely! Hely!" She wrapped her arms around her, before pulling away and jumping up and down with excitement. "Pretty! Pretty! Hely a fairy!"

Helen laughed. "I think I might be some sort of Angel, actually."

"A Guardian Angel." When Helen raised an eyebrow, Jack shrugged. "Well, you're a Guardian now, and you're an Angel. It makes sense."

Jamie gasped. "You're a Guardian now?" When Helen nodded, Jamie leapt at her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "That's so cool!" Helen only laughed as she pulled him off her.

Her adoptive parents approached her. "So I guess this means you won't be coming home now," said Lowell. "I mean, this would be very hard to explain..."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best." She then hugged both her parents. "But that doesn't mean I won't visit." Tears suddenly filled her eyes, and she pulled away from the shock. "What the...? I don't cry _that_ easily."

"It's those heightened emotions I told you about," said Jack.

North chuckled. "We can give you practise on how to control them. It's very easy."

"Sure thing," said Helen. "But before you do..." She suddenly grabbed Jack's hoody before bringing him in and giving him a kiss on the lips. Bunny whistled while North and Katherine chuckled, and Tooth gazed dreamily at them while a heart appeared in the sand above Sandy's head. Jamie and Sophie just gagged at the grown-up show of affection, and Bernadette and Lowell looked at each other knowingly.

When the two pulled away, Jack blinked in surprise at the...sudden show of emotions. "Wow," was all he could say. "I wouldn't mind if you...take your time with that practise, HB."

Helen rolled her eyes and gave him a friendly punch on the arm. "I knew all boys are the same, Frostbite."

Jamie then bent down and picked up Helen's new bow and arrow, which he held out to her. "Is this yours?"

"Yeah." She took it from him.

Phil approached North and gave him the book, which he opened. "Do you want to make it official?" Helen nodded, and her family and the other Guardians formed a circle around her as North began to read. "Do you, Helen Bennett – Helenka Pitchiner, Guardian Angel, Guardian of Light – vow to watch over the children of Earth? Guide them safely from the ways of harm, guard with your life their hopes and dreams? For they are all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will ever be."

Helen looked around the circle; at the other Guardians, at her family... Finally her eyes rested upon Jack, who nodded his head. With a smile, Helen turned back to North. "I will."

"Then you are now, and forever more...a Guardian."

Jamie and Sophie cheered, and Jack quickly leaned in to kiss her. It didn't last very long, and he smirked when he saw Helen raising an eyebrow at him. "It's only fair. You got one out of me."

Helen just shook her head with a smile and looked down at her bow...but as she did the girl noticed a detail she'd missed before. Both the bow and arrow were patterned with small trails of black, bending and twisting as they ran along the wood. It looked pretty...but the black reminded her of someone. "Where's Pitch?"

The others looked around...and found that he was gone.

* * *

Pitch walked slowly through the woods until he came to the familiar cliff and saw the familiar broken tree. He sighed, and could do nothing but stare at it and remember how it had played a part in almost taking his daughter from him. _Now she's gone completely. I can't see her again now that she's become...one of them_. He averted his gaze to the frozen ground.

"Wait!"

Pitch looked up into the sky behind him, and flying towards him – or at least struggling to fly – he saw the familiar form of Helen, looking so much different from before; looking so much like her mother, minus the wings. He turned and walked away, not wanting to face her.

But Helen wouldn't give up, and struggled with her flight as she forced her way towards him. "Father, wait!"

_Did she just...?_ That made him pause, and Pitch turned again in time to see Helen crash into the the ground. He winced. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Helen picked herself up before shaking her wings to get rid of the snow. "I just need to get used to these things." She gestured to her wings before walking over to him. "Why did you leave?"

Pitch sighed. "Because it's over. You defeated me. I can't fight the Guardians because...now _you're_ a Guardian. I will not fight my own daughter."

Helen blinked in surprise. "So I...defeated you? By becoming a Guardian?" He nodded. _Eartha was right_, she realized. "But...that doesn't mean you have to go."

"I can no longer fight you," said Pitch. "So what purpose do I have?"

"Use your powers for good?" He frowned. "I know it sounds cliché, but it's like I said before; fear gives people strength to fight it. Maybe you could encourage that?"

Seeing Pitch uncertain, she leaned in to place a hand on his shoulder; it started to burn and she went to take it away again, but Pitch took her hand in his to stop her – and the hand he used turned to its human colour on contact. "It doesn't hurt. Not anymore."

Helen smiled. "I don't want you to just disappear into the shadows and be alone again." After a thought, her eyes brightened up. "You know, I was always worried about my adoptive-father. A subconscious thing, I think. It's the reason why I went with him when he split up with my adoptive-mother. But now that I think about it, it wasn't him I was worried about – it was _you_."

The thought of his daughter being subconsciously worried about him – even when she had no idea who he was – brought warmth to his heart, and he smiled. Helen smiled back...and after some hesitation, she embraced him in a hug. Pitch's eyes widened; he never thought he would ever experience the joy of his daughter hugging him again. He embraced her back and clutched her tightly.

"But I will warn you," Helen began again, pulling away. "If you ever go near Jamie and Sophie again, you're gonna wake up on fire."

Pitch chuckled...and then suddenly a snowball hit the back of his head, and he turned to see Jack a short distance away. He was leaning against a tree with his staff in hand. "Time to go, HB."

"Sure thing, Frostbite," she said. The girl gave her father one last smile before she walked over to Jack.

Watching the two young Guardians reunite, Pitch noticed the smiles on their faces, and also the necklace Helen wore. _So they got together, after all_. Beforehand it would have angered him; but that anger had faded, and instead he just felt proud of his daughter. She had found happiness, and he accepted that.

But he was still a father. "Frost!" The boy turned to acknowledge him. "You break her heart, I'll break your leg."

Jack chuckled. "If I'm stupid enough to make a mistake like that, I'll let you do it." He then turned to Helen. "I was never afraid of him before; why is he suddenly so scary?"

Helen laughed. "When you're dating a girl, it's natural to be afraid of the girl's father."

After another thought, Jack took something out of his pocket and turned back to Pitch. "Oh, and North wanted to give you this. Something about finding your Center."

He tossed something small at him, and Pitch caught it. Looking down, he recognized it as a Russian doll; specifically, the small doll which was always found in the middle. This one, he realized, was of him. But he was dressed in his Golden Age uniform with his arms crossed defensively in front of him, and his fists clenched.

Pitch found that he knew what the doll meant: _Strength_. That was his Center. _Maybe I'll do as Helen suggested, after all_.

"You ready to go, HB?" Jack asked.

Helen stared back at her father. She didn't want to leave him alone so soon...but when another figure entered the area behind him, she smiled. "Father!" He looked up at her. "You might want to look behind you."

Pitch did...and his eyes widened. It was Mother Nature...but to him, it was someone else entirely. "Eartha?"

She smiled.

Knowing that her father was no longer alone, Helen took off into the air after Jack. She had difficulty at first, but with her new friend's help, she was able to fly alongside him as they soared through the air together.

_My name is Helen. Helenka Pitchiner. Where do I come from? My mother's love, and my father's strength. So if you want to know where you come from, just look at your parents...and then look inside yourself_.


End file.
